"This is catastrophic" - Ban Assault Weapons NOW

17 shot dead in U.S. school: Ban assault weapons now Sign Now Dear friends, It happened again. There's been yet another mass shooting in the United States. And yet again, children were the victims. This time, a gunman armed with a semi-automatic assault rifle killed at least 17 people in a high school in Parkland, Florida. 17-year-old Noelle was in history class when she heard the gunshots. Freshman Aidan quickly posted pictures on social media showing his class on lockdown. A teacher hid 19 students in a classroom closet. Meanwhile, the rest of America and the world is asking the same question as every other time — will this be enough to get the U.S. government's attention? It has already been well past time that the country banned automatic weapons like the one used on Wednesday. Time and time again, families and community members have mourned the dead and injured, and lamented America's lax gun laws. Mass shootings have become the new normal, but that does not mean that we should stop speaking out. An assault weapons ban was in place for 10 years in the United States before Congress let it expire in 2004. In the 12 years since then, the National Rifle Association lobby (NRA) has successfully stopped the ban from being reauthorized. During that interval, the death toll has spiked significantly. Enough is enough already. Other countries have learned better than this. It's time for the U.S. to wake up and protect its citizens, too. Demand that the U.S. Congress acts NOW to pass legislation banning assault rifles. Thank you,   Alex B. The Care2 Petitions Team