Gabrielle Giffords On The Anniversary Of The Pulse Nightclub Shooting

June 12, 2017

June 12, 2017 – As the anniversaries of the massacres at Pulse Nightclub in Orlando and Emanuel AME Church in Charleston take place this week, former Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords, the Co-Founder of the gun violence prevention organization Americans for Responsible Solutions (ARS), issued the following statement:

“It was one year ago that we heard the tragic and unbelievable news: 49 people were murdered in a violent, hate-filled, mass shooting at an LGBT nightclub in Orlando. Almost exactly a year earlier, parishioners were targeted at a historic African-American Church in Charleston. In the days that followed, we heard stories of courage, bravery and resolve. But mostly, there was unspeakable pain. Pain that will never fully go away. “As a nation, we can and must do better. “It’s time for us to come together, heal our nation’s divisions and restore the bonds that tie all of us together. And it’s time for our nation’s leaders in Washington to come together, put politics and partisanship aside, and take responsible steps to prevent the next hate-filled tragedy. “Many of the people killed at Pulse and Mother Emanuel had their entire lives ahead of them. Evil, this time in the ugly form of a bullet from a gun, robbed them of their chance to build their own legacy. We must use this moment to honor those who were tragically taken by building a safer, kinder and more tolerant country for all.”

Last week, Senator Bob Casey (D-PA) and Congressman David Cicilline (D-RI) introduced the Disarm Hate Act, which would help keep guns out of the hands of individuals convicted of hate crimes.The bill would:

Define Misdemeanor Hate Crimes. This category would include misdemeanors under Federal, State or tribal law that include the threat, use or attempted use of force and are found to be motivated at least in part by hate or bias against the victim’s race, color, religion, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity or disability.
Keep Firearms Out Of The Hands Of Those Convicted Of Misdemeanor Hate Crimes. It would prohibit the purchase, possession or shipment of a firearm by anyone convicted of a misdemeanor hate crime or who received a hate crime sentence enhancement, and prohibit the sale of firearms to anyone known to have been convicted of a misdemeanor hate crime.

This week, Americans for Responsible Solutions is partnering with organizations across the country for #DisarmHate Week from June 12th – 18th, which spans the week between the Orlando and Charleston gun tragedies. As part of #DisarmHate Week, gun violence prevention groups and partner organizations will empower Americans across the country to mobilize and fight to reduce hate crimes in their communities.

About Hate Crimes & Gun Violence In The United States

There are over 200,000 hate crimes every year in the United States, 8,000 of which involve a gun. That is more than 20 every day. [Politifact] [Center for American Progress]
When guns are involved, hate crimes are more intimidating, terrifying, even deadly. Violent altercations involving guns are much more likely to be fatal than those involving other weapons.
One of the common factors in many tragedies is that it is far too easy for hate-fuled people to get their hands on guns in our country. From churches to movie theaters, the threat of armed, hate-filled violence is a threat that too many Americans face on a daily basis.
Everyday, gun violence claims more than 90 American lives. [Centers for Disease Control and Prevention]