Washington, D.C., October 15, 2019 — As the fourth Democratic presidential debate came to a close, Brady, formerly Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence, applauded the candidates’ discussion on solutions to prevent gun violence in America. The debate took place in Ohio, only weeks after a shooting in Dayton killed nine people and wounded 27 others and following a weekend of gun violence in communities across the country, including Baltimore, Brooklyn, Chicago, Philadelphia, and Fort Worth.
Brady President Kris Brown stated,
“Yet again, Democratic presidential candidates have expressed an urgency in addressing the epidemic of gun violence in America. We’ve heard them voice ideas and support solutions in ways that are unprecedented. It’s certainly more than we can say of our sitting President and his friends in Congress like Sen. Mitch McConnell. But we simply cannot wait more than a year for a change in the White House to address the gun violence that is killing 100 people in the United States every single day. There’s lifesaving legislation on the table right now, and as many candidates pointed out, common-sense gun safety measures like an assault weapons ban and expanded background checks have wide range support both in Congress and among the American people. We need Sen. McConnell to bring these solutions to the Senate floor immediately to be passed with a simple majority. And come 2020, we need a President who will deliver comprehensive gun policy that will reduce all gun violence: urban homicide, unlawful use of force, suicide, family fire, and mass shootings.”
Brady commends candidates’ focus on calling for a ban on assault weapons and high-capacity magazines and encourages more discussion on the ways that gun violence impacts communities in different ways. Brady praises Sen. Elizabeth Warren for underscoring that “gun violence isn't just mass shootings,” and calling for a larger focus on domestic violence and suicide as critical to ending gun violence in America. Brady also applauds Julían Castro for labeling police violence as gun violence and naming 28-year-old Atatiana Jefferson, who this weekend was shot and killed in her Fort Worth, Texas, home by a white police officer. Studies show that Black Americans are 2.5 times more likely to be killed by police than white Americans. All Americans, regardless of age, neighborhood, occupation, or race, have the right not to be shot.
Brady has long prioritized a comprehensive approach to addressing the epidemic of gun violence and encourages all candidates to adopt a similar holistic approach to address the ways that communities are uniquely situated and impacted by gun violence.
Brady has one powerful mission — to unite all Americans against gun violence. We work across Congress, the courts, and our communities with over 90 grassroots chapters, bringing together young and old, red and blue, and every shade of color to find common ground in common sense. In the spirit of our namesakes Jim and Sarah Brady, we have fought for over 45 years to take action, not sides, and we will not stop until this epidemic ends. It’s in our hands.
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