Responsible Gun Legislation for Washington State

It is past time for us to act on the issue of gun violence. Right now, American youth are four times more likely to be killed by gun violence than their counterparts in Canada, seven times more likely than youth in Israel, and 65 times more likely than youth in the United Kingdom.

It seems as though Washington State understands that this is unacceptable, and a dialogue of change is beginning. One month ago, Gabby Giffords urged the Washington State Legislature to “fight, fight, fight” to reduce gun violence.

Taking her words to heart, I attended a first-of-its-kind #Fight4AFuture Gun Violence Prevention Summit this past weekend in Washington, D.C. At the summit, I met over 100 motivational young leaders who are working on reducing gun-related deaths. Many had been directly impacted by gun violence.

I met Karina, a beautiful young woman who is now wheelchair-bound after getting shot in front of her high school in Colorado. I met Carlos, a bright young man and brother of Victoria Soto, a teacher killed in the Sandy Hook school shooting. I met Colin, an inspiring leader who was shot four times at Virginia Tech.

Most astounding, perhaps, was when one young man stood up and stated that he had lost 28 friends and family members to gun violence. This young man was 16 years old.

How can we allow this horrifying loss of life, when we know we have the power to change it? Instead of polarizing the issue, why can’t we collaborate to identify and implement solutions? There is enough room between extremes to support the second amendment while still demanding safer communities. We can pass responsible gun laws without eroding constitutional rights.

The safety of our family, friends, and loved ones DOES NOT have to be a partisan issue.

Background checks are one responsible solution for reducing gun violence. Initiative 594 will be on the ballot for Washington voters in November. The initiative requires background checks on all gun sales in Washington, including private sales. Considering the fact that 40 percent of gun sales currently occur without a background check, requiring these background checks is an effective and necessary step forward in this fight. I will vote yes on 594, as part of my commitment to reduce gun violence.