By Kathy Wray Coleman, publisher, editor-n-chief, Cleveland Urban News. Com and The Cleveland Urban News.Com Blog, Ohio's Most Read Online Black Newspaper
WASHINGTON, D.C.- Congresswoman Marcia L. Fudge (OH-11) (pictured), a Warrensville Hts Democrat who is also president of the Congressional Black Caucus, on Wednesday commended President Obama for presenting a series of executive and legislative initiatives that she says would strengthen gun laws and improve delivery of mental health services to reduce the loss of life due to gun violence.
“It is clear the culture of violence is an American epidemic," said Fudge, whose largely Black 11th congressional district includes the east side of the majority Black major metropolitan city of Cleveland and a largely Black pocket of Akron, a city some 35 miles south of Cleveland that is roughly a third Black. "It is time for us to face the music. We are complicit in the violence that takes place in our nation if we fail to strengthen our gun laws, fail to invest more resources in our mental health services, and fail to address the issue of bullying."
The president, the first Black to lead the United States of America, unveiled his bold gun control initiatives at a press conference at the White House Wednesday afternoon.
He was flanked by vice president Joe Biden and a host of other gun control advocates, including family members of victims of the Connecticut shootings.
Among other provisions, Obama's gun control proposal calls for Congress to adopt measures for extensive background checks, bans on high-capacity magazines and military-type assault weapons, and limitations on ammunition magazine clips to 10 or less.
It also demands that Congress reinstate an assault weapons ban that expired in 2004, and calls for equal access for all Americans to quality mental health treatment.
The president on Wednesday issued executive orders for parts of the proposal such as extensive background checks, but the meat of the proposal requires congressional approval.
Fudge said that Congress "must take meaningful and immediate action to eradicate the culture of violence in our country."
The congresswoman said that all stakeholders have a responsibility to work towards curbing gun violence nationwide.
"The president, members of Congress, parents, gun owners, the entertainment industry and every American citizen all have a role to play in doing all we can do to keep our children and families safe, " said Fudge " We must act now.”
Since 1982, there have been more than 60 mass murders carried out with firearms across the U.S., data show.
"Each year, 30,000 Americans lose their lives and about 80,000 are wounded as a result of gunfire," said Fudge.
Like Obama, Fudge said that she supports a multifaceted approach to gun control that includes closing loopholes for private sales and gun shows by requiring uniform background checks on all gun purchases, prohibiting civilian purchase of high capacity ammunition clips, drums or magazines, and banning assault weapons."
But the congresswoman agrees that their is no one solution to the gun violence epidemic in America that transcends racial and ethic lines, though majority Black urban areas that are plagued with poverty are disproportionately impacted.
“No single measure can solve the complex issue of gun violence," said Fudge. "We must undertake a series of sensible and long overdue steps to prevent weapons from falling into the hands of dangerous people."
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