Teens Urge Congress to Ban Assault Weapons – Speech 3

The RAC is proud to bring thousands of teens to Washington, DC for our annual L'Taken social justice seminars. After three days of intensive programming and learning about some of the many issues we advocate for, participants head to Capitol Hill to meet with their Members of Congress and advocate for the causes they care about.

Leading to Wear orange (June 7-9), we're sharing some of the many powerful speeches delivered by our L'Taken participants during our 2023-2024 season, focused on the epidemic of gun violence in the United States. Our young people embody the power of the Reformation. Movement to make our voices heard.

This speech was written by Aiden S., Hannah H. and Harper C. from Emmanuel Temple in Denver, CO. This is the first speech in our Wear Orange 2024 series. You can find the other 2 speeches here: Speech 1, Speech 2.

New fears are born every day with each new experience we encounter. We find others who share this fear and cower, waiting for the moment when it might come true. I have a fear and I share it with my teachers, peers, friends and family. We cringe at the thought of it and when we hear others share their stories, we realize how close it is. I'm afraid of gun violence, as are the people around me. We hear the stories from our friends who witnessed it and we watch the news as it lists the number of casualties at local schools, parades and stores. Billions of people in our country fear gun violence, and for good reason. In 2020, guns surpassed car crashes to become the leading cause of death among young Americans, and since then the number of mass shootings has increased, reaching 650 mass shootings in 2023.

In Exodus 20:13, the Mishnah teaches us that “He who takes a life is as if he had destroyed the universe, and he who saves a life is as if he had saved the universe.” “. This demonstrates how each of us has different interpretations of the universe, which are unique to us. As Jews, we are taught to care for each other and stand up for those who have no voice. Gun violence is a widespread problem in America today, and it is becoming more serious the longer we stand by. In fact, in 2022, there have been more than 48,000 gun-related deaths in the United States. Each of these characters has their own life and their own universe. At the Holocaust Museum, many quotes catch the attention of different people for different reasons. However, the one that stood out to me the most was “It wasn't just six million murders. It was murder six million times.” I believe this particular quote can be applied to several situations. For example, when we hear “48,000 people a year,” we think of it as just a number, whereas if we think about every life that is constantly affected and tarnished, it develops a deeper empathetic meaning. It only becomes obvious when it happens to us or to the people around us.

I have personally encountered gun violence, more than once. I go to Denver East High School, and even if you weren't a Colorado rep, you'd probably know the name. About a year ago, within the span of a month, my school experienced two shootings on school grounds, one outside and one inside, which resulted in the departure of two teachers valued by the community and the death of two classmates. I didn't know Luis Garcia well before his death, we had only spoken a few times. However, those who knew him spoke of his kindness and his legacy is remembered every day in the halls of our school. The second shooting occurred just days after Luis' death, when a student opened fire on two deans who discovered his gun during a pat-down. Fortunately, both teachers survived with relatively minor injuries. However, the student, who was in my mathematics class, committed suicide after a manhunt lasting several hours. The first shooting happened during the third period and they didn't find his body until late in the afternoon. I have never felt feelings of pure terror like that day. Barely a week after a classmate had just died from gun violence, we were back in lockdown. I was sitting in the dance studio, the class I was in at the time, and I was desperately trying to stop myself from collapsing because it was too risky to make a sound. I remember listening to the news in the hours and days that followed, it suddenly became real: When we hear about a shooting on the news, it's easy to think of it as just another number. That is, until it no longer does, until gun violence threatens you personally and those you love. That's when it becomes real.

But we can't wait for this problem to become “real” for everyone: too many lives will be lost, too many families broken, too many tears from children, afraid to go to a place that's supposed to be safe. The issue of gun violence must be addressed now, before it is too late.

The Assault Weapons Ban (S. 25/H.R. 698) is sponsored by the late Senator Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) in the Senate and Representative Lucy McBath (D-GA-7) in the House. This wouldn't be the first time the United States has banned assault weapons. However, since 2004, assault weapons have not been banned nationwide, and despite various state-level bans, mass and minor shootings have continued. The assault weapons ban would prohibit the importation, sale, manufacture, transfer, or possession of an assault weapon. Additionally, the assault weapons ban would also require a background check for any future sale, trade, or donation of an assault weapon. Since the bill was introduced, 206 House Members and 44 Senators have joined to co-sponsor this bill. You are one of these members and for that, we thank you. However, you co-sponsored this bill over a year ago, so we ask that you continue to fight to get this ban passed by Congress, and we hope that gun violence is an issue that you address. will continue to fight.

Thanks for speaking with us, we appreciate you taking the time and for all the work you are putting into combating this issue.

Some of the deadliest mass shootings in the United States have been the result of assault weapons, weapons of war intended to fire rapidly over a short period of time. You can join these teens and the reform movement as a whole by urging Congress to ban assault weapons.