Thread by @jessphoenix2018

We must act to stop our gun violence epidemic. Here's what I would work for in Congress:

1. Close background check loopholes immediately.

2. Reinstate funding for CDC to study causes & solutions

3. Form Congressional Select Committee to investigate

Need these steps ASAP. 1/

Gun violence is personal to me. I was 17 & in high school near Columbine in 1999. My boyfriend went there. It ripped our community apart & showed me that innocence isn't something our kids can have anymore. Gun violence is an epidemic. 2/

How many people have we lost to suicide by gun? How many have been injured or killed due to domestic violence at the end of a gun? How many kids know what an active shooter drill is at school? How many of us have to die before we recognize this for what it is: an epidemic. 3/

The government, beaten down by the Gun Lobby, stopped the Centers for Disease Control from studying our gun violence epidemic in 1996 by stripping $2.6M from the CDC budget. 4/
washingtonpost.com/news/wonk/wp/2…

My parents were both FBI agents. They taught me from an early age that guns are tools, nothing more or less. Guns are not to be glorified. They are not sacred or untouchable. The Constitution is not a defense of anyone's right to own massive amounts of deadly firepower. 5/

To quote Spider-Man, with great power comes great responsibility. Closing background check loopholes is a basic, simple, step that had bipartisan support. We just don't have politicians in office who will take that step. Follow the money: it leads to the Gun Lobby. 6/

We need to keep people on the No Fly list from owning guns. If someone is suspicious enough not to be allowed on a plane, they don't need to buy a gun. We need to prevent Concealed Carry Reciprocity from becoming reality. The state with the loosest laws shouldn't be in charge. 7/

Let's talk CDC. Our epidemic isn't just mass shootings. Far more people die by suicide or domestic violence than as a result of mass shootings. This multi-faceted problem is why we MUST uncover the science behind gun violence. We need to understand it fully. 8/

Saying that you can't regulate evil to excuse inaction on this epidemic is the worst kind of cop out. If you're a lawmaker too afraid to take a stand that goes against your big donors, either get new donors or get out of politics. Making laws that work takes backbone. 9/

I support the 2nd Amendment. I also support the right of school kids to attend classes without having to fear for their lives, & the right of teachers to do their job without thinking about if they'll have to sacrifice themselves to save their students. 10/

To that end, we need to own this epidemic & take immediate action. Every day Congress ignores the issue of gun violence, more people die needlessly. No 17 year old should see the their peers' bkdkes on national TV. No parent should see their kid's name on a casualty list . 11/

We can solve this using common-sense & science. We can solve this if we send a message to DC that we're not going to let the fat cats at the Gun Lobby enjoy their blood-stained profits at will anymore. It's been 22 years since the CDC studies stopped, & things are worse. 12/

Elect candidates who prioritize solving this epidemic & saving lives. Elect candidates who stand behind the courage of their convictions. Tell the Gun Lobby we won't allow American lives to be sold for profits anymore. We have that power in our votes. It's on us to use it. #/