Pritzker op-ed: Gun control, stronger communities and ending the violence epidemic
Seventy-one people were shot this past weekend in Chicago. Twelve people lost their lives. The numbers are staggering, but they can never measure the futures lost and the devastation experienced by families left behind.
Our communities are strong and resilient. Our families are striving for something better. But many are running up against entrenched barriers of systemic racism and disinvestment, and for too long, leadership in Illinois has been just another impediment.
It’s time to change that.
OPINION
It’s time we address gun violence as we would treat a public health epidemic. Like treating a disease, we need to interrupt gun violence, reduce the risk of it spreading, and prevent it by building safer and healthier communities.
Without a doubt, we need common-sense and long-overdue gun safety legislation. Criminals and those who want to do harm shouldn’t have access to guns, and no one should have access to weapons of war or be able to obtain guns illegally. We need to ban assault weapons, bump stocks, and high-capacity magazines, and we need to stop the importation of illegal guns across Illinois’ borders. It’s also time to enforce universal background checks and enact a gun dealer licensing bill.
Read more: https://chicago.suntimes.com/crime/gun-control-jb-pritzker-chicago-shootings-op-ed/