Photo: RINGO CHIU / AFP / Getty Images
By: Congressman Salud Carbajal Updated 06 Jun 2022, 21: 47 pm EDT
America has a wave of gun violence, and it has put our children directly in harm’s way for far too long. I lost my sister to a gun, and I have convinced Congress to consider my legislation this week. My bill would help protect our children by allowing the temporary removal of firearms from a person who may pose a danger to others or themselves, and also prevents them from purchasing a gun.
In Uvalde, 19 children were killed by an individual using a firearm. Uvalde is a tragedy that horrified us and shocked the world, but it is not the first time we have seen this type of violence.
Actually, while that the attack on the school in Texas was horrible, we can hardly say that it was surprising anymore. Firearms have recently become the leading cause of death for children this year alone. The Texas shooting was the 27 and deadliest school shooting in history.
And in so many school shootings – like those in Uvalde, Parkland, Sandy Hook, Columbine and others – there were alarms that the attackers posed a danger to their communities. Sometimes they were comments on social networks. Other times they were behaviors noticed by family or friends. In some cases, police were made aware of these concerns.
In fact, a Department of Homeland Security study of school violence found that school shooters usually exhibit noticeable alarm and usually tell someone their plans before the incident.
In my hometown of Santa Barbara , we had this kind of attack. After sharing disturbing opinions on social media, a man killed six people in the University of California Santa Barbara area.
In reaction , California created one of the first ‘red flag’ laws in the country.
2022The red flag laws are simple: if someone poses a danger to others or to themselves, these laws allow temporary confiscation of firearms and also prevent them from buying a gun.
These ‘red flags’ or Extreme Risk Protection Orders, can be requested by a family member or a police officer, and have to be approved by a judge.
These laws work, and that is why Congress is now considering my bill, The Protective Hazards Act Extremos, which encourages states to create ‘red flag’ laws through a new subsidy program.
Do not violate due process and recognize that those with the intent to harm themselves or others should not be allowed to possess a weapon. That shouldn’t be a controversial idea; actually, it is bipartisan.
In the United States, 19 states already have some type of red flag law, which was passed by Republican and Democratic governors.
In Florida, your law has helped get firearms out in dangerous situations that posed a threat to communities and children. In California, red flag laws have deterred workplace violence and have been used by police officers to confiscate weapons from those who have directly threatened others.
My legislation would use subsidies to incentivize states to create red flag laws and support the states that already have. It is a bill that has been defended since my first days in Congress – because it is very personal to me.
Long before reaching Congress, when I was a child, my sister committed suicide with our family’s firearm.
Red flag laws not only help prevent school violence , but also help those who are a danger to themselves.
In Indiana and Connecticut, the suicide rate has dropped after they passed red flag laws, removing firearms from unsafe situations for our children, our veterans, and those struggling with their mental health.
My bill has had bipartisan support and backing from law enforcement organizations in recent years, and the tragedies in Texas and New York have convinced Congress to consider it.
My effort is an important way to reduce gun deaths, school shootings, and threats against our children – and I’m excited to see the House of Representatives taking it up in the coming days.