National Urban League and Chicago Urban League Decry "Cowardice and Greed" that Enable Rampant Gun Violence

NEW YORK and CHICAGO (July 5, 2022) -- National Urban League President and CEO Marc H. Morial and Chicago Urban League President and CEO Karen Freeman-Wilson today issued the following joint statement in response to yesterday’s deadly mass shooting in Illinois:

“Our hearts are broken for those killed or injured in the senseless massacre at the Highland, Park, Illinois Fourth of July Parade, for their families, and for their community.  Their suffering is both tragic and ironic, inflicted at a celebration of a nation founded on the promise of ‘domestic tranquility.’   While the vast majority of Americans support commonsense gun safety measures that would save thousands of lives, we are increasingly ruled by a minority determined to disregard the will of the people. 

“We have experienced nearly a record number of mass shooting this year already, and we are on track to have more shootings this year than there are days in the year. Moreover, our communities are also plagued by street level gun violence in Chicago and other urban centers that take or destroy the lives of too many.  All of it fueled by lax gun laws.

“A community is only as safe as the closest state with the weakest gun laws. Apparently, no amount of carnage will sway certain politicians from their loyalty to gun merchants and the National Rifle Association, even though gun owners support common sense gun safety measures. Every surge in gun industry profits represents tens of thousands of human lives, sacrificed for cowardice and greed. 

“Although we were encouraged by the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act that passed a few weeks ago, it is only a first step towards addressing our nation’s gun problem. We need an assault weapons ban and comprehensive background checks to ensure our communities are safe. Congress must go back to work to take the next step this summer.

“Furthermore, social media companies must face up to their role in fomenting the extremism and hate that fuels these tragedies. The Highland Park gunman, like other mass shooters in the recent past, clearly indicated his intentions online, which was a failed opportunity for authorities to intervene.

“The National Urban League, the Chicago Urban League, and all our affiliates and allies will not be deterred from advocating for safer streets. We stand with the families who have suffered unimaginable loss. They deserve elected representatives who also stand with them, with the majority of the American people on the side of common-sense gun safety laws that actually will keep our communities safe.”