Skip to main content
Statement

President Trump’s Gun Proposal ‘Deeply Disappointing, Will Not Keep Our Children Safe’

March 12, 2018
Gun Control

Lisa Lederer, 202-371-1996

Kristin Rowe-Finkbeiner, executive director and CEO of MomsRising.org, a national online and on-the-ground organization of more than 1 million mothers and their families, issued the following statement on President Trump’s recent announcement on gun policy
“President Trump’s announcement yesterday on gun policy is deeply disappointing. Improving background checks on gun buyers is imperative but the administration’s plan is woefully inadequate. His announcement also marked a retreat from his earlier support of raising the age limit for buying semi-automatic assault rifles with high capacity magazines like the one used in the Parkland massacre, and came with a misguided, dangerous proposal to train and arm teachers. This will not keep our children safe; in fact, it will put them in greater danger.
 
“The administration’s proposal doesn’t include the most basic, common-sense reforms that studies show would actually help to reduce gun violence. It won’t expand background checks to cover all commercial gun sales, including at gun shows and on the internet. It won’t stop the open and relatively easy sale of military-style assault semi-automatic weapons with high capacity magazines. The entire proposal is a shameful kowtow to the National Rifle Association (NRA).
 
“ It also must be said: The President’s plan to arm teachers is simply ridiculous. It will make our children less safe and disproportionately hurt children of color, who studies show are already the victims of discriminatory school discipline policies. Schools are already experiencing gun violence at a shocking rate – the shooting at Parkland was the sixth school shooting where children have been harmed this year; in fact, since the shooting at Columbine high school in April 1999, more than 150,000 primary or secondary school students have experienced a shooting on campus. The last thing we need are more guns in classrooms.
 
“Our nation is losing over 30,000 lives a year due to guns. Our children are living in constant fear, and our government is doing nothing to protect them. We need strong, principled leadership on this issue, not lip service. It’s time for Congress and the administration to take a stand, oppose the NRA’s radical agenda, and implement measures that will effectively reduce gun violence.”
 

# # # #

MomsRising.org is an on-the-ground and online grassroots organization of more than a million people who are working to increase family economic security, decrease discrimination against women and moms, and to build a nation where businesses and families can thrive. Established in 2006, MomsRising and its members are organizing and speaking out to improve public policy and to change the national dialogue on issues that are critically important to America’s families, including criminal justice reform, immigration policy reform, and gun safety. MomsRising is working for paid family and medical leave, affordable, high quality childcare and early learning, and for an end to the wage and hiring discrimination which penalizes women — particularly moms and women of color — and so many others. MomsRising advocates for access to healthy food for all kids, health care for all, earned sick days, and breastfeeding rights so that all children can have a healthy start. MomsRising maintains a Spanish language website: MamásConPoder.org. Sign up online at www.MomsRising.org — and follow us on our blog, and on Twitter and Facebook.