To: The United States House of Representatives and The United States Senate
Tell Congress to stand against the influence of white supremacy and the NRA
We call on you to stand against the influence of white supremacy and the NRA, and finally take on comprehensive gun policy reform, starting with banning assault weapons and high capacity magazines, and including disarming hate, passing universal background checks, and supporting extreme-risk protection orders.
Why is this important?
Why has Congress been unable to take even the smallest step forward in reducing gun violence, despite strong public support for measures like banning military-style semi-automatic assault rifles and high capacity magazines (67%) and universal background checks (97%)?
Here’s the truth: White supremacy has been at the root of this inaction throughout our nation’s history, and the National Rifle Association (NRA) utilizes racist and xenophobic messaging to mobilize and grow its base of activists. Until we acknowledge this truth and call out white supremacy and the racist tactics of the NRA, we will continue to suffer the deadly consequences as elected leaders are immobilized by their influence.
The Second Amendment was in part originally added to the U.S. Constitution to appease southern colonies that feared the “tyranny” of a federal government that could expropriate their armed militias -- militias they stated they needed in order to control people who were enslaved. [1] 18th-century regulations governing militias specifically prohibited Native American and Black people from participating as arms-bearing members. [2]
And the National Rifle Association, whose mission is defending Second Amendment rights, has a long, well-documented record of employing racist and xenophobic rhetoric and tactics [3] that directly draws from the United States’ shameful history of slavery and racism, serving as dog whistles to the many white supremacists in its base of supporters.
It’s time to face the truth and call out how the Second Amendment was used to continue slavery and how it currently is being invoked by the NRA, encouraging white supremacists to commit domestic terrorism.
[1] "Death Toll Rises to Seven in Texas Rampage," The Wall Street Journal, Sept. 1, 2019.
[2] “Everything we know about the El Paso Walmart Massacre,” New York Magazine, Aug. 7, 2019.
[3] Gun Violence Statistics, Giffords Law Center.
Here’s the truth: White supremacy has been at the root of this inaction throughout our nation’s history, and the National Rifle Association (NRA) utilizes racist and xenophobic messaging to mobilize and grow its base of activists. Until we acknowledge this truth and call out white supremacy and the racist tactics of the NRA, we will continue to suffer the deadly consequences as elected leaders are immobilized by their influence.
The Second Amendment was in part originally added to the U.S. Constitution to appease southern colonies that feared the “tyranny” of a federal government that could expropriate their armed militias -- militias they stated they needed in order to control people who were enslaved. [1] 18th-century regulations governing militias specifically prohibited Native American and Black people from participating as arms-bearing members. [2]
And the National Rifle Association, whose mission is defending Second Amendment rights, has a long, well-documented record of employing racist and xenophobic rhetoric and tactics [3] that directly draws from the United States’ shameful history of slavery and racism, serving as dog whistles to the many white supremacists in its base of supporters.
It’s time to face the truth and call out how the Second Amendment was used to continue slavery and how it currently is being invoked by the NRA, encouraging white supremacists to commit domestic terrorism.
[1] "Death Toll Rises to Seven in Texas Rampage," The Wall Street Journal, Sept. 1, 2019.
[2] “Everything we know about the El Paso Walmart Massacre,” New York Magazine, Aug. 7, 2019.
[3] Gun Violence Statistics, Giffords Law Center.