Members of the Veterans Coalition for Common Sense on the Gun Tragedy in Orlando & Need for Responsible Change That Reduces Gun Violence
June 17, 2016 – Following Sunday’s gun tragedy in Orlando that left 49 people dead and dozens injured,members of the Veterans Coalition for Common Sense Advisory Committee today condemned our national gun violence crisis and called on our leaders to do more to keep guns out of dangerous hands and save lives. Announced last Friday, just two days prior to the Orlando tragedy, the Veterans Coalition for Common Sense was founded by Captain Mark Kelly and Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords, and brings together veterans from every branch of our military who are committed to urging responsible change that respects the Second Amendment rights of law-abiding Americans, helps keep guns out of the wrong hands, and saves lives. All statements were released by Americans for Responsible Solutions, the gun violence prevention organization founded by Captain Kelly and Congresswoman Giffords.
Captain Mark Kelly, United States Navy (Ret.):
“As service members, each of us swore an oath to protect our Constitution and the homeland. Now, with our country in the grips of a gun violence crisis, we’re asking our leaders to do more to protect our rights and save lives. Some will say that our nation must accept this as the new normal. Some will say that there is nothing we can do to make our country safer from gun violence. It’s not true. We cannot let armed ambushes become the new normal in our country. We have to do better than this. And we can.”
Admiral Thad Allen, United States Coast Guard (Ret.):
“In the course of my career I have had to confront both man-made and natural disasters. In Hurricane Katrina nearly two thousand lives were lost in the devastation and the Nation was stunned. It is time for the Nation to confront the reality that gun violence claims more than 33,000 lives a year in this country, a disaster of extraordinary proportion by any measure. The recent tragic events in Orlando and other senseless deaths pose a moral question that we must confront: will we be guided by our fears or the values that must underpin a civil society. It is time to demonstrate by our collective behavior in addressing gun violence that our highest duty is to protect the unalienable rights of our citizens, ‘life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.’ In 1776 it was a cause worthy of our ‘Lives, our Fortunes, and our sacred Honor.’ It is no less worthy today. The question is, as citizens of this Nation, are we willing to act on our values and keep the promise that our Founders made two centuries ago?”
General Peter Chiarelli, United States Army (Ret.):
“I have seen firsthand what weapons of war can do. There is no reason we cannot close the loopholes that allow these killing machines to fall into the hands of criminals, those who are mentally ill or those who wish to do harm to innocent men, women and children.”
General Michael V. Hayden, United States Air Force (Ret.):
“Throughout my career I have faced numerous challenges to this nation’s security. The shooting in Orlando tragically illustrates that gun violence is a real and persistent threat to our American community. We can and we must take steps to prevent future atrocities while upholding our Second Amendment rights.”
General Stanley McChrystal, United States Army (Ret.) via his op-ed in The New York Times :
“[This] is a national crisis. And as a combat veteran and proud American, I believe we need a national response to the gun violence that threatens so many of our communities. Today, some of our politicians and the people who back them seem to promote a culture of gun ownership that does not conform with what I learned in the military. As this national crisis continues to rage, I ask my fellow veterans — patriots who have worn the uniform, who took an oath to protect our Constitution and the Second Amendment, who served this great country — to add your voice to this growing call for change. America needs you.”
Vice Admiral Lee Gunn, United States Navy (Ret.):
“For 35 years, I served to protect and defend the United States Constitution and the national security of our country. Today, gun violence and active shooter terrorism are a clear and present threat to the safety of our communities. Congress should act to ensure that suspected terrorists are not permitted to buy guns and that all gun sales are subject to background checks.”
Lieutenant General Claudia Kennedy, United States Army (Ret.):
“The horrific shooting in Orlando will not define that community or this country. We will come together as a country, stronger and united against the challenge to our security. I, along with my fellow Veterans for Common Sense, refuse to stay quiet in response to gun violence and the weak laws that often contribute to such tragedies. My prayers are with the victims and their families and my voice is with all those who demand commonsense solutions that will make our communities safer.”
Rear Admiral James Barnett, United States Navy (Ret.):
“As a former Deputy Commander of the Navy Expeditionary Combat Command in Iraq and Afghanistan, I served our country to protect the American people. But back here in the United States, I am continually heartbroken by the massacres that occur on our soil when guns fall into the wrong hands and am especially appalled by Sunday’s horrendous attack. If one community is targeted, all communities are targeted. We must stand in solidarity with the LGBTQ community and honor the memory of the fallen by taking commonsense steps to protect all the people of our nation.”