Clay: Senate vote not the end of battle against gun violence

In his latest report. Congressman Lacy Clay vows to continue the battle against gun violence.

Last week, a minority in the U.S. Senate ignored 90% of the American people and blocked consideration of a common sense, bipartisan measure to combat gun violence…background checks for all commercial gun purchases.

Americans from all walks of life and all across this country support this and other reasonable proposals to make it harder for criminals and those with serious mental illness to get their hands on a gun.

I am a proud member of the congressional taskforce on gun violence. This is not a new issue for me, and sadly, this is not a new issue for the community that I have the honor to represent. The St. Louis area has long been subjected to the twin evils of gun violence and a popular culture that tolerates it.

For many years, I have supported a renewal of the assault weapons ban, a ban on high-capacity magazine clips, universal background checks for all gun purchases, and ending on-line sales of firearms and ammunition.

We also need to provide communities with more help to increase mental health services and to improve school security.

But even if we did all of that…it wouldn’t be enough.Because you have to take a stand at the grass roots level.

You have got to be willing to pick up that phone and call that anonymous tip line, and help get these guns off the streets.

You have to fight with your voices, your feet, your faith and even your votes…to win back the peace for our community and our country. 

Like you, I am outraged when some of my more timid colleagues say that the opposition is too strong, the path is too difficult and they are too fearful to act.

That is exactly what happened in the U.S. Senate and it’s shameful.   The NRA lied about the legislation, used their considerable resources to spread the misinformation, and then exploited the fears of others to pressure Members of Congress.

We have seen this failure to lead before.

But this time, there must be a high price for inaction.

You must be willing to hold accountable those elected officials who fear the gun lobby more than they respect the voters who hired them.

In an exceptional op-ed which appeared recently in theNew York Times, my very courageous friend and former U.S. House colleague Gabby Giffords said:

“They looked at these most benign and practical of solutions, offered by moderates from each party, and then they looked over their shoulder at the powerful, shadowy gun lobby — and brought shame on themselves and our government itself by choosing to do nothing.

They should have honored the legacy of the thousands of victims of gun violence and their families, who have begged for action, not because it would bring their loved ones back, but so that others might be spared their agony.”

Gabby Giffords is right.

We need your strong and sustained progressive voices to keep this issue on the front-burner until Congress finally does the right thing.  This is not the end of our fight, it is just the beginning.