Schakowsky: Colorado Shootings

Dear Jan Schakowsky,

Since the movie theater shootings in Colorado, where I grew up, I have been waiting patiently for one of my elected representatives to step forward and say what needs to be said about assault weapons. These guns are not for hunting, they are not for self defense, they are designed to do one thing: massacre. These guns and the expanded capacity ammunition clips are an abomination. That we, as a society,  equivocate about the efficacy of banning such weapons speaks to our own ignorance, to a failure of leadership among those who represent us and, more than anything, to the cynical and corrupting power of the gun lobby.
When I searched your website for 'shooting, Colorado' I came up with two press releases. The first was written a few weeks ago, the second was written in 1999 and spoke of your disgust for the violence of the Columbine  shootings and affirmed your desire to ban assault weapons. I urge you to revisit that press release and to reaffirm your call to ban assault weapons. I would be very pleased to see you sponsor legislation to that end.

We should know by now that deranged killers such as Mr. Holmes cannot and will not be detected until it is too late and that the only way for us to prevent these tragedies is to ban the sale of the weapons and ammunition clips that make them possible. Thank you for your service.


-Helder Weil