Gun violence in America and in Georgia is out of control. In 2023 alone, a total of 731 people were killed and 2,440 other people were injured in 598 shootings. Gun violence is not new to America, but is increasing with every year. The solution to this issue is not to ban all guns. The Democratic Party does not have the goal of taking away the 2nd Amendment. Personally, my views are more in line with the majority of Americans and individuals who live inside our district. 

Common sense gun laws are the more effective and practical ways to solve mass gun violence. This includes (but is not limited to) 

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- Universal Background Checks to purchase a firearm

- Raising the federal minimum age to 21 to own (not to use) a firearm. 

- Supporting a new Automatic Rifle Ban with buyback programs 

- Safe Storage Laws 

- Implementation of Red Flag Laws 

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These laws would not be in place to prohibit law-abiding citizens from owning a gun, nor are they designed to suppress the control of the people. They are in place to protect our citizens from crime, violence, and injury. One may argue that having armed citizens will deter criminals from using guns in crimes. However, in a National Crime Victimization Survey, data showed in 99.2 percent of the violent attacks in the United States, no gun is ever used defensively – despite the nearly 300 million guns in circulation in the country today. In essence, statistically a person has less than a 1% chance of successfully defending themselves with a gun in an active shooting. Therefore, common sense gun laws are the best and most effective option to combat gun violence, and I would be motivated to support any legislation on the state level that supported the implementation and enforcement of these practices. 

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To read more about my position on Criminal Justice Reform, click here