We Know How To Keep Kids Safe

This piece was originally published in the June 6, 2022 edition of CAP Action’s newsletter, the Progress Report. Subscribe to the Progress Report here.

“Over the last two decades, more school-aged children have died from guns than on-duty police officers and active-duty military combined. Think about that: more kids than on-duty cops killed by guns, more kids than soldiers killed by guns.” – President Joe Biden

Gun violence is the leading cause of death for American children and teenagers.

That staggering fact sets the United States apart from all other developed nations. And yet, according to a new poll from CBS News, a whopping 44 percent of Republicans believe that we just have to accept mass shootings as a fact of life. MAGA Republicans share a dangerous and misguided notion of freedom that is killing our kids. What about their freedom to feel safe in school, in the grocery store, in movie theaters, and on in their neighborhoods.

The United States has  implemented commonsense safety rules to ensure car seats, robes, and baby bottles do not pose a danger to children. We know how to keep kids safe from gun violence, too. It’s time to take action against the leading cause of death for American children and implement new and strong measures to stop gun violence.

Share this graphic to help spread the word:

In the news

• On June 9, the House committee investigating the January 6 attack on the Capitol will hold its first public hearing. The hearing will be the first opportunity for the general public to see testimony and evidence related to the Trump administration’s intricately plotted attempt to overthrow U.S. democracy.
• According to a newly released study from Forbes, people living in counties that voted for former president Donald Trump in 2020 are more likely to die from COVID-19. The study shows clearly that the partisan response to the pandemic has had real and devastating effects on health outcomes.

What we’re reading

• “There Has to be a Tipping Point on Guns, Right?” by Gail Collins and Bret Stephens (The New York Times)
• “Biden to invoke Defense Production Act for clean energy” by Ben Geman and Andrew Freedman (Axios)
• “‘They had no empathy’: for gun violence survivors, police response can be retraumatizing” by Lois Beckett (The Guardian)
• “NY lawmakers pass bills to tighten state gun laws, including raising the minimum age to buy a semiautomatic rifle” by Rob Frehse
• “‘Red flag’ laws work — but only if they are used correctly, data show” by Scott McFarlane (CBS News)
• “Insulin prices shouldn’t force parents like me to work multiple jobs” by Suzan Smith (Nevada Current)
• “The emptiness of Republicans’ new climate strategy” by Shannon Osaka (Grist)

This piece was originally published in the June 6, 2022 edition of CAP Action’s newsletter, the Progress Report. Subscribe to the Progress Report here.