3-minute read
Beth Davidson
| Special to the USA TODAY Network
New York officials urge gun reform at skyscraper shooting vigil
New York Gov. Kathy Hochul and Mayor Eric Adams called for gun reform after a deadly shooting.
Just a few weeks ago, four people — including an NYPD officer — were senselessly killed in New York City by a gunman armed with an AR-15-style rifle. It was the deadliest shooting New York City has seen in 25 years. Like so many of you, I was heartbroken — and angry. Because no matter how strong New York’s gun safety laws are, they can’t stop weapons of war from flooding across our borders from states with weaker laws. Gun violence, and the proliferation of assault weapons, is a national crisis that demands a national solution.
But instead of protecting our communities, federal leaders like U.S. Rep. Mike Lawler and Donald Trump are doing the opposite. In July, Lawler passed and Trump signed a reconciliation bill eliminating the $200 tax on purchasing or manufacturing silencers, short-barreled rifles and shotguns and other dangerous weapons.
This is not a minor change. It’s a full-scale rollback of nearly a century of bipartisan safeguards. And it could not come at a worse time.
Gun violence is an American scourge
Gun violence in this country continues to rise. Firearms are now the leading cause of death for American children and teens, surpassing car accidents and cancer. In 2023 alone, nearly 47,000 Americans died from gun violence. This is a national emergency. Yet, instead of responding with urgency and common-sense solutions, Lawler and Trump handed a $1.7 billion giveaway to the gun lobby.
Let’s be clear: this wasn’t about saving taxpayers money, nor was it about protecting our communities. Silencers, such as those used in mass shootings in Virginia Beach and Monterey Park, California, reduce the sound of gunfire, making it more difficult for officers and bystanders to recognize and react to an active shooter. Silencers make it harder for police to respond swiftly and safely in emergencies. Stripping away these basic safeguards does not make us safer. It makes our neighborhoods more vulnerable.
This is not just about one bill. Since entering office, Trump has gutted violence prevention programs, removed a memorial to gun violence victims from a federal building, rolled back mental health funding for schools and even proposed restoring gun rights to people convicted of domestic abuse. He’s done everything the gun lobby could dream of, and absolutely nothing for families terrified of the next tragedy. And Lawler has supported his agenda at every step.
We deserve better. We deserve leaders who actually prioritize public safety.
I’ve learned we have to take action on guns
As a longtime volunteer with Moms Demand Action, a school board leader and now as a Rockland County legislator, I have seen the toll gun violence takes on families. Just before I was sworn into the Legislature, a devastating murder-suicide shook our community. I had always supported commonsense gun reforms, but after that tragedy, I knew we had to act.
So I did. I fought for and passed a common-sense gun safety bill, right here in Rockland, that requires warning language about the risks of having a firearm in the home — risks that include suicide, domestic violence homicides and accidental death, especially for children. The bill passed unanimously and was signed into law by our Republican County Executive. That’s what real leadership looks like. We didn’t play politics. We put public safety first.
Our communities cannot afford to go backward. We must reinstate and strengthen the National Firearms Act. We must restore funding to the ATF and reject efforts to fold it into agencies like the DEA, where its mission will be destroyed. We must invest in mental health services, community violence intervention programs and research that treats gun violence as the public health crisis it is. And it’s past time to restore the Assault Weapons Ban — a law that reduced mass shootings and saved lives — and take weapons of war off our streets once and for all.
I’m running for Congress because I believe every child deserves to grow up in a safe community. Every parent deserves peace of mind when their child walks out the front door. Every law enforcement officer deserves the best protection from guns falling into the wrong hands. And every local official has a duty to act, especially when Washington won’t. Mike Lawler has had his chance to lead. Since he won’t, I will.
Beth Davidson, a Democrat, is a Rockland County legislator who represents District 10. She is also seeking the Democratic nomination to run for the 17th Congressional District seat.