Take Action for Human Rights

TELL YOUR SENATOR: PASS BACKGROUND CHECKS NOW

The recent tragedies in Buffalo and Uvalde have again put the human rights crisis of gun violence front and center.

Our reckless gun laws are what allow tragedies like these to happen. Whether at the grocery store or at school — our hearts break with the knowledge that in the U.S. — unless we take action — no one is safe from gun violence. We can no longer stand by while guns enter the wrong hands.

Right now, there is a common-sense step we can take to make our communities safer – enforcing universal background checks.

Simply put, universal background checks would help prevent dangerous people from having guns. Running a background check before a firearm purchase helps identify people who are prohibited by federal law from owning them, such as convicted felons and domestic abusers.

Universal background checks make a big difference: states with these laws have been found to have significantly less gun trafficking, 47% fewer women killed in firearm-related violence by an intimate partner, substantially fewer suicides using a firearm and 53% fewer police officers killed on duty.

Public safety is not a partisan issue; it is a human rights issue. But until our elected leaders take action to regulate firearms, our rights are under attack.

Take action now: Urge your senators to pass a universal background check bill.

Your voice is more powerful than you think, and only you can use it.

⬇ Make Your Voice Heard ⬇

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As your constituent, I strongly urge you to vote yes in support of universal background checks legislation. Even if we can’t stop all gun violence, there are basic steps we can take to make a difference. Universal background checks would close deadly loopholes, preventing threats to public safety and ensuring that guns do not fall into dangerous hands.

Federal law does not currently require universal comprehensive background checks on the purchase or transfer of every firearm. As a result, studies have shown that 22% of all firearm acquisitions are conducted without any background check.

States mandating universal background check requirements for all firearm purchases have experienced significantly less firearms trafficking, substantially fewer firearm-involved suicides, 47% fewer women killed in firearm-related violence by an intimate partner, and 53% fewer police officers killed on duty.

Under international human rights law, if a state does not exercise adequate control over the purchase of firearms by private actors in the face of persistent gun violence, they could be considered to have breached their legal obligations. The U.S. has failed to implement a comprehensive system of gun safety laws and regulations, leaving individuals susceptible to injury and death from firearms.

On behalf of my community, our state and our country, I urge you to vote ‘yes’ on universal background check legislation--a policy that 97% of Americans support. Public safety is not a partisan issue; it is a human rights issue. AIUSA also urges you to oppose any amendment that unfairly stigmatizes immigrants or individuals with mental health conditions. Ending gun violence is a human rights priority for all people in the U.S., and any gun control legislation must protect the rights of all communities.

Thank you for your attention to this urgent matter. I look forward to seeing your vote in support.

Sincerely,

{user_data~First Name} {user_data~Last Name}

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