Media Contact: Mandy Simon, [email protected]
(WASHINGTON, D.C.) – In response to the sit-in taking place on the House floor as part of an effort to bring a vote on gun control measures, Amnesty International USA’s Senior Manager for Gun Violence and Criminal Justice Jamira Burley issued the following statement:
“Today’s action on the House floor highlights the need for urgent bipartisan reform to reduce gun violence. In a world where human rights belong to all, no one’s life should be threatened just by walking down the street, going to school or dancing at a nightclub.
“As we continue to stand in solidarity with gun violence victims and survivors in Orlando, Chicago and around our nation, we urge the United States government to recognize and respond to gun violence in this country as the human rights crisis that it is. Comprehensive reform of the current inconsistent patchwork of federal, state and local laws is vital, and any measures designed to respond to the mass shooting in Orlando should be guided by the facts, not speculation or bigotry of any kind.
“Amnesty International USA urges Congress to support criminal background checks on gun purchases, which can help prevent the loss of life and potentially improve the safety of millions of people in the United States. We also urge Congress to oppose measures that offer false solutions to the real threats of gun violence and terrorism, including measures that expand reliance on the terrorism watchlists, which are based on vague criteria and lack sufficient due process safeguards, expansion of Patriot Act provisions allowing FBI surveillance without a court order, and measures to limit refugee resettlement.”
Amnesty International is a Nobel Peace Prize-winning global movement of more than 7 million people who campaign for a world where human rights are enjoyed by all. The organization investigates and exposes abuses, educates and mobilizes the public, and works to protect people wherever justice, freedom, truth and dignity are denied.