Urge Your Representatives to Cosponsor Legislation Reducing Gun Violence

Action:  Email your members of Congress and urge them to co-sponsor H.R. 308 (House) or S. 32 (Senate), the Large Capacity Ammunition Feeding Device Act.

Background:  Legislation has been introduced by Rep. Carolyn McCarthy (H.R. 308) and Senator Frank Lautenberg (S. 32) to ban the manufacturing and selling of high capacity ammunition magazines.

Large capacity magazines are military-grade weapons which can hold 30, 50, or even 100 rounds. Firepower of this kind has little-to-no sporting or defense use, but is often used in shootings which injure or kill many people in seconds before the shooter needs to reload.

This kind of weaponry was initially banned under the Assault Weapons Ban, but became legal for possession again when the ban expired in 2004. Large capacity magazines were used at Columbine to kill 13, at Virginia Tech to kill 32, at Fort Hood to kill 13, and in Tucson to kill 6 and wound another 13.

Faith Reflection:  While we continue to pray for the families and friends of those who have died due to gun violence, we must also work to stop the flow of this military-grade weapon into schools, gatherings and streets. For a more extensive reflection on our Christian faith and gun violence, see pages 7-10 of our Preventing Gun Violence resource.

Action:  Email your members of Congress and urge them to co-sponsor HR 308 or S 32, the Large Capacity Ammunition Feeding Device Act.

Alert prepared by Christina Warner, Legislative Assistant for Domestic Affairs