After the MSU shooting and manhunt earlier this year, I could feel the ground shifting on the issue of gun safety in Michigan. That shooting and three hour manhunt, on top of the Oxford shooting in November 2021, really impacted the hearts of normal Michiganders. I received calls from Republican constituents that I know to be avid hunters and sportsmen, and they all have the same message: No one can stand to see their children dying in what should be their sanctuaries, and we need to do something to protect our babies in our schools and our communities.
That shift is not unique to Michigan, and it seems especially salient after the terrible shooting in Maine last month, in which a mass shooter killed 18 people using an AR-10. A recent Quinnipiac poll shows nearly universal support for background checks, with 93% of voters supporting that commonsense step to curb gun violence in our communities.
In Congress, I have cosponsored a series of gun safety legislation, some of which were drafted in response to the two school shootings in my district. Despite growing up with guns and carrying a glock and an M-4 in three tours in Iraq alongside the military, I think it is the responsibility of elected officials to address the issues that are *truly* harming our children. Gun violence is the #1 killer of Americans under 19. That’s not a political statement, that’s a fact. In 2022, over 6,000 children 18 and younger were killed or injured due to gun violence in our communities, in our schools, by suicide, and by accident.
That same work drives my campaign for Senate, and it’s why I see such a stark contrast in this Michigan Senate race. Just last month, in the wake of the Maine shooting conducted by an AR-10, former Congressman Mike Rogers went on Fox to reiterate his position that assault weapons are “not the problem” and a ban on these weapons wouldn’t help deal with the issue of gun violence in America. Another serious contender in this race, former Detroit Police Chief James Craig, has publicly stated that he’s against any additional gun safety laws.
And our newest Republican opponent, former Congressman Peter Meijer, spent his one-term in Congress voting against gun safety bills, including legislation that would make it easier to carry guns across state lines and legislation that would prevent people who pose an imminent danger to others from purchasing a firearm.
Given the above, it’s clear that the issue of gun safety will clearly be a point of serious contrast in this senate race. Despite gun violence killing more children than car accidents since 2020, the GOP candidates in this race believe that the government should take no further steps to try and mitigate risk. We don’t need another senator who refuses to take up even basic gun safety legislation, and who lives in fear of the NRA turning against him. And we don’t need another senator who can’t open their hearts and their eyes to the direct threat to our kids.
Thank you,
Elissa Slotkin
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