Use Senate filibuster to force votes on firearms bills

Published 1:30 am Monday, June 6, 2022

First, I thank The Herald’s Jerry Cornfield for his fine article on HB 1329 (“Once a rarity, remote government meetings here to stay,” The Herald, March 19. What Rep. Emily Wicks, D-Everett, has led is the best of our state that we can come together to build back better.

We need that same thoughtful energy as a nation on gun violence. Not just because my mother, my father and I are gun violence survivors but because Washington state’s leadership on gun violence prevention the past decade can only protect us so much when we have states with the laissez-faire mentality of say … Idaho and Texas.

I ask our two U.S. senators to please share the commitment of Moms Demand Action’s Shannon Watts and San Francisco’s Supervisor Catherine Stefani in fighting the NRA to filibuster all non-national defense legislation in the filibuster-addicted U.S. Senate until the Senate holds floor votes on the Bipartisan Background Checks Act alongside banning ghost guns and assault weapons. If America needs to shut down nonessential parts of the U.S. Government, bring it on.

Because to those who say no, I have just one question: How many more moms have to have guns at their head in front of their sons and daughters or students before inaction becomes unacceptable to you? Mine had that, I had to fight the lead gunman with my bare hands like any other son proud of his mother would. The real heroes will be the ones who work to end this madness happening to another mother.

Joe A. Kunzler

Sedro-Woolley