Gun violence déjà vu

Another mass shooting in America, this time at a bar and a bowling alley in Lewiston, Maine. And, as often is the case, the weapon was an assault rifle.

Surveys show that almost six-in-ten adults in American favor stricter gun laws. Here, once again, are proposals supported by the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops. They include:

-       A total ban on assault weapons, which the USCCB supported when the ban passed in 1994 and when Congress failed to renew it in 2004. 

-       Measures that control the sale and use of firearms, such as universal background checks for all gun purchases; 

-       Limitations on civilian access to high-capacity weapons and ammunition magazines; 

-       A federal law to criminalize gun trafficking; 

-       Improved access to and increased resources for mental health care and earlier interventions; 

-       Regulations and limitations on the purchasing of handguns; 

-       Measures that make guns safer, such as locks that prevent children and anyone other than the owner from using the gun without permission and supervision; and 

-       An honest assessment of the toll of violent images and experiences which inundate people, particularly our youth. 

You can contact your House Representative or Senators by phone by calling the Capitol Switchboard. Simply dial 202-224-3121, give the operator your zip code, and he/she will connect you with your elected officials' office. Let your representatives that you support these reasonable measures to address gun violence.