Gun Legislation Would Bring More Violence and Crime

Republican legislators are circulating bills in Madison that would make it easier to put guns into the hands of 18-year-olds AND make it easier to keep guns in vehicles parked just feet from school doors.

Specifically, legislation has been drafted that would lower the age to conceal and carry a firearm to 18 and allow firearms to be locked in vehicles on school grounds.

This is real and it is shockingly AWFUL legislation!

In 2019, there was one firearm related death every 15 hours in the state of Wisconsin, causing more than 600 deaths. The deaths caused by firearms did not and have not discriminated by region or population, as urban and rural communities have been affected.

Tragically, a very large number of gun-related deaths in the state in 2019 — 70% — were suicides.

Making it easier for 18-year-olds to carry a concealed firearm goes against reasoning and science, as experts say the regions of the brain responsible for decision making are still developing until a person reaches their early to mid-twenties. Individuals under 21 may not be able to appropriately weigh risks and benefits prior to taking action while carrying a firearm. Experts say that without the ability to perform this type of risk-benefit analysis, dangerous and even deadly situations can result.

Making it easier to conceal and carry firearms means that the likelihood of people carrying guns can increase in a community, making it also more likely that someone will use a firearm in deadly violence. I fear that if the legislation becomes law, it will only serve to exasperate the inner city gun violence and homicides that we are experiencing on a daily basis in Milwaukee.

NOTE: This press release was submitted to Urban Milwaukee and was not written by an Urban Milwaukee writer. It has not been verified for its accuracy or completeness.