Target: Cami Bremer, El Paso County Commissioner
Goal: Begin enforcing gun laws intended to keep deadly weapons away from dangerous individuals.
When a gunman reportedly opened fire on an LGBTQ nightclub in Colorado Springs and killed half a dozen people, the usual narrative unfolded. Thoughts and prayers were issued, condemnations were made, and mental illness was given lip service. Gun safety laws also became a prominent part of the discussion. In this case, laws already on the books could have saved lives, if not for the apparent obstruction of local officials.
The state of Colorado has a version of red flag laws, called Extreme Risk Protection Orders, that attempt to restrict access of firearms for people identified as dangers. The suspected gunman in the shooting would have very likely met specifications for these laws due to a domestic violence incident in the past year in which he allegedly threatened his mother, made bomb threats, and engaged in an hours-long standoff with police. Despite this troubling history, the suspect—along with other potential menaces—is protected because the county where he lives has declared itself a so-called Second Amendment Sanctuary. As a result, local officials often do not enforce the gun laws already on the books.
The rampant politicization of this life-and-death issue has already caused enough tragedy. Sign the petition below to demand this county stop playing politics with its people’s lives.
PETITION LETTER:
Dear Commissioner Bremer,
When the Board of Commissioners dramatically proclaimed El Paso County a Second Amendment Sanctuary, did you ever imagine the day would come when these words would come back to haunt you in the worst way possible? Could you have envisioned your region would be splashed across headlines as the latest example of a mass casualty event? And did you stop to think that dialing back the political rhetoric and actually working for the betterment of these communities could have prevented it all?
The suspected gunman in the Colorado Springs tragedy had a well-documented encounter with law enforcement and accusations of domestic violence. This incident created the biggest red flag of all and was a textbook example of how Extreme Risk Protection Orders could and should work. But because local officials needed to score a few cheap political points, these laws were gutted and rendered meaningless at the local level.
Opponents of new gun legislation like to say we should enforce existing laws. They proclaim their love for and dedication to law and order. They rail time and again about how the focus should be on keeping firearms out of the hands of the mentally ill. Where were all these values in El Paso County? Where were they when they could have saved multiple lives?
The damage has been done, but you can prevent more needless tragedy. Stop flouting your own state’s laws and stop giving sanctuary to would-be killers.
Sincerely,
[Your Name Here]
Photo Credit: Bart Everson
