Growing up in Arizona, I loved the story of the Declaration of Independence. I was thrilled by the vision of the Founders—that we, the people, had the right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness—and fascinated by the proclamation that the 13 colonies were entitled to a novel form of government—democracy—to bolster the people’s “Safety and Happiness.”
But 249 years later, our government is failing to keep us safe.
Last Friday, I saw images of the solemn lying in state of my friend, former Minnesota House Speaker Melissa Hortman, and her husband, Mark, under the great dome of the state capitol. They were stalked and murdered by an extremist who also nearly killed state senator John Hoffman and his wife, and who had a hit list of other Democratic officials. Political violence like this is escalating—and threatening the very foundations of the democratic experiment that began with the Declaration.
I feel this tragedy in my bones, personally. I narrowly survived an assassination attempt at a congressional event I was holding outside of a grocery store in Tucson, Arizona, in 2011. Six people died and many more were wounded. Before that day, I’d received threats, and my office door had been shot in—during the very public debate about the health care bill known as the Affordable Care Act.
Of course, not all gun violence is political. Some 46,000 people are shot and killed in America every year, and Black and Brown communities bear a disproportionate share of this burden. Gun violence doesn’t just claim lives; it robs people of their sense of safety and freedom. It casts a shadow over everyday life—going to the store, walking outside, attending school, seeing a movie, or celebrating a Fourth of July parade might all become occasions of violence. For victims, survivors, and the millions of Americans who live in fear, our government is not upholding its end of the deal. It is failing to protect our safety and our happiness.
Making matters worse, extremists have hijacked the gun lobby and twisted the meaning of the Second Amendment. In one breath, they take up their arms in preparation for violent resistance against perceived tyranny, but then cry “tyrant!” whenever an elected official says something they don’t like. This isn’t patriotism. It’s a dangerous, growing threat to our democracy.
While most gun owners, like me, rightly roll their eyes at these performative hysterics, there are a few who take these extremists’ warnings at face value. This status quo is deadly and unacceptable—and elected officials of both parties have a duty to say so. If our nation continues down this path unchecked, we risk losing the very democracy we celebrate every July fourth.
On this Independence Day, the last before our nation’s 250th birthday, Republicans and Democrats alike must recommit to keeping the American people safe from the threat of dangerous people with guns. While legislatures may remain divided on the issue, the American people are not.
Roughly 90 percent of voters support background checks on all gun sales and stopping domestic abusers from owning guns. Large majorities support banning untraceable ghost guns, requiring a license to purchase a firearm, and passing red flag laws that remove guns from someone who poses an immediate threat. The will is there. What’s missing is the courage.
When I was shot and nearly died, colleagues from both sides of the aisle promoted the idea that politicians should adopt softer, less inflammatory rhetoric. I appreciated the thought, and I still agree that we’d all benefit if politicians chose their words more carefully. But a functional democracy is only possible when those who serve it don’t have to fear for their lives. And as long as loopholes in our laws allow dangerous people—like the man who killed Melissa Hortman—to stockpile weapons, people will be afraid.
This Independence Day, I hope you—and elected officials at every level of government—will join me in this fight, so every American can live free from the threat of gun violence.
Gabrielle Giffords was a Democratic U.S. representative from Arizona from 2007 to 2012. She is the founder of Giffords, a national organization dedicated to saving lives from gun violence.
The views expressed in this article are the writer’s own.
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