An open letter to Sen. Marco Rubio

Honorable Marco Rubio
United States Senate (R-Florida)
Washington, D.C.

Good Morning Senator Rubio: 

On Friday, June 3, 2022, a coalition of pastors, educators, law enforcement leaders, and community activists convened a Gun Reform Forum at the Bethel Family Life Center in Tallahassee, Florida. The purpose of the forum was to encourage our legislative leaders to pass new ethical, effective, and evidenced-based gun safety reforms. 

We are urging you to act responsibly and positively to reduce the pandemic of mass shootings and killings across America. The longer Congress procrastinates and pontificates, more innocent Americans are dying because of Congress’ refusal to act. 

This communiqué is a “Call to Consciousness!” We need Congress to cease political brinksmanship and partner with each other to help save our children and families from gun violence. The citizens have elected you to work on behalf of these same families who have been traumatically impacted by gun violence. Consistent with your oath of office, we are now emphatically urging you to lead in this gun reform effort and serve in maintaining safety for all citizens. 

We acknowledge that America is now standing in the middle of three pandemics: COVID-19, mental health issues, and gun violence. All three, somehow, have created the perfect storm for increased random violence across this great nation. The Pew Research Center reported significant increases in gun purchases and subsequently, an increase in gun violence. As a result, many American families have experienced significant loss. 

Instability within their homes and communities have been further compounded by uncontrollable deaths. This constant loss has resulted in bereavement, grief, and trauma among the citizenry. Subsequently, this situation has led to a sociopathic response with an increased implosion of domestic terrorism within this nation. That domestic terrorism is gun violence. There is tremendous collateral damage. Loss of life is irreplaceable. 

It is clear that not only is gun violence impacting numerous families, but it is disproportionately impacting black and brown communities at a greater level. This historical trauma is reflected in behaviors that are carried out as gang violence, interracial violence, domestic violence, mass shootings, etc. Without layered prevention and intervention, the combination of these revengeful and random violent behaviors will continue to cause significant stress and burdens on communities and families across this nation. 

We acknowledge and support President Joseph Biden’s Gun Reform laws and the Second Amendment Rights. However, we believe more action is required to create safety for all. Therefore, we are providing the following recommendations concerning gun control reform:

• Restrict access to assault weapons. High-capacity weapons and ammunition magazines should not be available to civilians. There is no legitimate self-defense or sporting purpose for these military-style, high-capacity weapons and magazines designed and purposed to kill large numbers of people in a short amount of time. 
• Require universal background checks on all gun purchases. 
• Require all social media platforms to create a coding system that automates and systematically reports language of threats to self and others. This should begin the investigative process. 
• Strengthen national background check laws relating to gun sales by holding all retailers accountable, not just licensed gun dealers. Require all states to comply. 
• Strengthen requirements for storage of guns in homes to limit children’s access. Raise the federal age limit for purchasing semi-automatic weapons and non-automatic rifles and shotguns to 21.
• Strengthen red-flag laws allowing people to petition a court to temporarily confiscate firearms from high-risk individuals who pose a threat to themselves or others. 
• Require licensure and gun safety training for individuals applying for gun ownership. 
• Require universal mental health checks on all who seek gun purchases. 
• Make gun trafficking a federal offense. Gun trafficking fuels the flow of guns nationally and internationally, and is a major contributing cause to extreme gun violence.
• Create state-level violence reduction committees that are charged with systematically implementing national gun reform.
• Require law enforcement to be trained and retrained on mass shooting response. Lives have been lost due to poor and limited response. The training should resemble special armed forces similar to Green Beret and navy seals, ICE …training by armed services for special response and domestic terrorism (i.e. mass shooters) crisis.
• Require all school physical plants to meet minimum gun safety codes. This requirement limits the ability of students to bring guns and weapons on campus. This will also make it harder for people to randomly enter schools and carry out mass shootings.
• Fund the increased presence of community-based mental health professionals, with an emphasis on culturally diverse psychologists and psychiatrists who can perform risk-assessments of those purchasing guns and monitor their mental state. 
• Fund the increased presence of psychologists in local police departments, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the Central Intelligence Agency to support their investigative efforts. 
• Hold people liable for selling guns to individuals who fail to meet gun reform criteria. 

Enough is enough. The cries of our children, the shattered families and communities, the senseless murders, can no longer be tolerated and ignored by our nation’s decision-makers. The word of the Lord is clear in Isaiah 9:6 “For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counselor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.” 

We look forward to a timely response from you on this critical matter. 

Yours truly,

Reverend Dr. RB Holmes, Jr., 

Pastor Bethel Missionary Baptist Church; President, Tallahassee Chapter of the National Action Network