The House just passed an assault weapons ban for the first time in almost 30 years.
Let’s face it — mass shootings are a reality in our country today. From children to churchgoers, grocery stores and nightclubs, the list is endless. And one thing that’s common from that diverse set of locations and communities is the weapon of choice used to commit the violence. It is always an assault weapon.
The legislation will criminalize the knowing sale, manufacture, transfer, possession, or importation of many types of semi-automatic weapons and large-capacity ammunition feeding devices. In other words, it will take weapons of war off our streets.
But the pundits and the press have already declared the legislation dead on arrival. They claim that there is no way the Senate will pass the bill. They said the same about the last round of gun reforms and about the bill that just passed the House. The gun lobby would love for us to think there’s no chance in this fight, but with champions in Congress and the White House on our side, there is a real chance. The biggest thing that will make a difference here is if people like us show up.