To All Members of Congress:
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.
Regrettably, white supremacy has been part of our nation’s history since our founding: 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. Please take action immediately to stop the mass shootings and reduce the burden of daily gun violence devastating our communities.
[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.