From the Illinois Council Against Handgun Violence:
The terrifying shooting rampage at the Batman movie premiere in Colorado today, that claimed the lives of 12 and injured as many as 59, including a 6-year-old, was a terrible tragedy that will never be forgotten. Our deepest thoughts and prayers are with the victims and their families.
It is at moments such as these that we must take pause. Despite the horror this tragedy ignited across our nation, we need to remember: This was NOT an isolated incident, as the NRA might imply. This was “warning shot” of an epidemic that is spreading across our nation and even our borders. And, this is a warning shot heard all too loudly on the streets of Chicago every single day.
Whether it was the shooting massacres at Northern Illinois University, Virginia Tech or Colombine High School, or a bloody Memorial Day Weekend in Chicago that claimed the lives of 11 people and injured 40. . . . gun violence is gun violence, and every life is precious. What further price must we pay as a society to inspire action?
Moving forward, we cannot simply ignore the fact that our unique gun culture and the ease of availability of guns to dangerous people deserves profound scrutiny for the incredible loss of life and community.
Despite the claims of the gun industry, these massacres and the daily toll of gun violence in this country — and especially here in Chicago — are absolutely about guns. And, until we address their lack of regulation, the passage of common sense gun laws and the manner in which they have been glamorized among generations of young people, sadly, these types of shooting massacres will become just as predictable as they are tragic.
