LWV STATEMENT ON GUN
VIOLENCE IN BOULDER, COLORADO
The League of Women Voters of Boulder County (LWVBC), the League of Women
Voters of Colorado (LWVCO), and the League of Women Voters of the United
States (LWVUS) grieve the senseless tragedy in Boulder, Colorado, on Monday,
when a man armed with an assault rifle shot and killed ten people at a King
Soopers grocery store.
LWVCO and LWVUS stand in solidarity with the LWV of Boulder County members
and their partners in mourning those who were killed and grieving
with their families and the entire Boulder community. We wish LWVBC and all
Boulder community members the compassion, strength, and resilience necessary
to heal from this horrific event.
LWV not only supports healing, but also decisive action. Together, we support
Boulder County, state, and federal law enforcement officials in their work to
seek justice for those murdered on Monday afternoon. And together, we
reassert our demand for common sense gun safety legislation at the local,
state, and federal levels to allow all people to live safely and with
confidence in their personal and community security. This includes both
people living in communities where systemic racism and disenfranchisement
contributes to a near constant threat of gun violence, and those who are
suffering from mass shootings.
The Colorado League calls on the Colorado state legislature to pass
common-sense safety laws, including:
● Mandating a waiting period before the purchase of any firearm;
● Raising the minimum age to purchase a firearm to 21 years of age;
● Requiring gun owners to report lost or stolen firearms;
● Banning assault rifles.
Federally, it is time for Congress to adopt legislation that will mandate
universal background checks, ban assault weapons, place limits on
high-capacity ammunition magazines, and fund research and reporting on gun
violence in America. Curbing gun violence is a critical matter of public
safety, public health, and public confidence.
We urge our League membership and the general public to contact their elected
officials to demand action on gun safety legislation.
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