Dianne Feinstein Implores Politicians To Vote For Gun Control Bills In Wake Of Thousand Oaks Shooting
In the aftermath of a shooting in Thousand Oaks that left 12 people dead — including the gunman — on Wednesday night, California Senator Dianne Feinstein sought to bring a handful of gun control bills to a vote on Thursday, according to a report from Business Insider.
In the statement that she released on Thursday morning, the senator wrote that if the United States continues with the status quo with regards to gun control laws, there will only be “more bodies lying at the foot of failed Republican leadership.”
Feinstein’s statement came after 28-year-old Ian David Long entered the Borderline Bar & Grill in the Los Angeles suburb of Thousand Oaks, California, and opened fire on the patrons.
Feinstein’s statement continued, “These mass murders are depressingly pervasive. Schools. Theaters. Malls. Offices. Synagogues. Grocery stores. Bars. Concerts. Churches. They’re inspired by racism, revenge, terrorism, or just pure hatred. The one common attribute: easy access to guns.”
Feinstein went on to detail her viewpoint by claiming that in order to put an end to the continued shootings, stronger gun control laws are required. There are already a number of bills that would do just that — and which are ready to be voted on, including “a renewed ban on military-style assault weapons and one on a ban on bump stocks.”
These mass murders are depressingly pervasive. Schools. Theaters. Malls. Offices. Synagogues. Grocery stores. Bars. Concerts. Churches. They’re inspired by racism, revenge, terrorism or just pure hatred. The one common attribute: easy access to guns. pic.twitter.com/cuA7K34ZqM
— Senator Dianne Feinstein (@SenFeinstein) November 8, 2018
As news began to come out about the shooting, President Donald Trump took to Twitter to release a statement of his own, explaining that he had been briefed on the incident.
Trump did pay tribute to the law enforcement officials who were on the scene — and offered a “God bless” to all those who were affected by the event — but made no mention of a need for stricter gun control, nor any bills that would promote such a cause.
Feinstein didn’t hold back in her criticism of the lack of action by Republicans on gun control, describing the inaction as “cowardice of epic proportions.”
Feinstein elaborated her point by writing, “We may not be able to stop all gun violence, but that doesn’t mean Republicans should be allowed to bury their heads in the sand and not try to stop any of it.”
Feinstein closed her statement by writing, “As long as they stand in fear of the NRA and worry more about the power of the gun lobby than the lives of their fellow citizens, we’ll see more Thousand Oaks, more bodies lying at the foot of failed Republican leadership.”
The NRA has yet to release a comment on the shooting.
