Rep. Watson Coleman Statement on New York State Rifle and Pistol Association v. Bruen
Congresswoman Bonnie Watson Coleman (NJ-12) issued the following statement on the Supreme Court’s New York State Rifle and Pistol Association v. Bruen decision:
“We are 174 days into 2022. In that time, there have been more than 279 mass shootings in our country. There were only 10 days between the massacres in Buffalo and Uvalde. In those 10 days, 14 mass shootings that terrorized communities across the country didn’t even make national headlines. This violence, this hatred, this evil has become a fact of everyday life in our country. I refuse to accept that.
“The gun violence epidemic is a uniquely American problem and a stain on our nation. What sets us apart from the rest of the world is the proliferation of weapons of war and their ease of access. There are more guns than there are people in the United States. In most states, a person can legally purchase an assault weapon before they can have a drink.
“Our right-wing Supreme Court has ruled that life-saving gun violence prevention legislation is unconstitutional. It has ruled to severely limit the government’s ability to end the American gun violence epidemic and make individuals and communities less safe. It has ruled in favor of a nation-wide firearm free-for-all. It has ruled to unleash more needless death and suffering upon our country.
"This Supreme Court is increasingly facing a legitimacy crisis. Today’s decision is not only tone-deaf, it’s an insult to victims of gun violence and their families.”