I joined Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America in 2017 when I wanted to help prevent my son from getting killed or traumatized at school. Since then, I have learned a lot about gun violence. Though more than half of gun deaths are because of suicide, gun violence is the No. 1 killer of children in our state and nation. People of color are disproportionately affected.
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Last week, I wrote to my congressman, Rep, Mike Collins.
“Yesterday, my biggest fear came true. Thirteen innocent people were shot at a public school near my home. Four are dead, including two children. In response to my numerous emails requesting common gun sense legislation, you have responded that you will always proudly protect the Second Amendment right to own a gun. What about citizens’ right to live? Why didn’t you make efforts to ban rapid-fire military-style guns? Why didn’t you support Secure Storage? Why do you support concealed carry reciprocity?
“Why didn’t the FBI make sure a 13-year-old suspect couldn’t access guns? Why don’t you value human rights more than gun rights? …
“By the way, is it safe to send my son to school this morning? What have you done to ensure it?”
Why does Collins support the carrying of loaded guns in public without any safety training or background check? What do some of our legislators have against making sure dangerous people don’t have easy access to guns?
Collins has said he supports “Constitutional Carry and will oppose any legislation or bureaucratic effort that undermines our Constitutional right to keep and bear firearms. Our right to keep and bear arms is a fundamental right that ‘shall not be infringed,’ spelled out in the United States Constitution.”
A person can support both the Second Amendment and common-sense gun laws that have been proven to work: universal background checks, secure storage requirements, an extreme risk law and an assault weapons ban.
Does Collins know how it feels to be a parent trying to decide if a gun threat is real? I do. CNN reported that an anonymous call was received saying Apalachee High School would be the first of five shootings. I know the anguish of making this choice. On one hand, you want to keep your child home for safety, but then the child misses school and the parent sends the message that school no longer is a safe space. On the other hand, you send them to school, but the threat becomes reality and you never see your child again.
This epidemic of gun violence does not have to be a fact of life. No other developed country has the rates of gun violence we do in the United States. We know how to reduce gun violence. We just need our members of Congress and our state legislators to represent the will of the people and do their jobs.
Speaking of our state legislators: Why didn’t the Georgia Legislature vote on and pass Michelle Au’s Pediatric Health Safe Storage Act last session?
According to Everytown, a nonprofit that advocates against gun violence, Georgia is ranked 46th in the United States for gun law strength, which means it has some of the weakest gun laws in the country. In 2017, the Legislature passed a law requiring colleges and universities to allow guns on campus. Since then, two abandoned loaded guns were found on campus, and one student shot himself at the University of Georgia. In 2022, Georgia passed permitless carry legislation. And Georgia still has a dangerous “shoot first” law that allows people to shoot others in public areas, even when they can safely walk away from the danger.
Georgia legislators have failed to pass laws to protect us, but we don’t have to live like this. We can fight for a future free from gun violence. The Constitution affords the people’s right to life. Please use your voice and vote for candidates who support common-sense gun reforms. We can come together for a safer future.
Nicole Broerman is a pediatrician and a volunteer with Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America.
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