Biden Announces a New Office of Gun Violence Prevention.
Article by Mila Taylor, TPT Staff Writer
Over the past couple of years, the United States has become increasingly unsafe, with the US surpassing 500 mass shootings in 2023 alone, and around 31 of those shootings have been in schools, according to the Gun Violence Archive. This has led to guns being the leading cause of death for young people in America.
States like Florida that have lax gun laws have resulted in some of the most deadly shootings in the US. The Sandy Hook and the Parkland school shootings in Florida have resulted in parties and organizations rallying around stricter gun laws. However, Governor Ron Desantis has made it increasingly difficult for Floridians to catch a break from gun violence. In the days that followed the Parkland school shooting on February 14th, 2018, the organization March For Our Lives was created, leading to the largest single-day protest in history, calling action against gun violence to our politicians. March For Our Lives has created momentum in Florida, preaching the importance of gun laws and young voter turnout. Along with March For Our Lives, Representative Maxwell Alejandro Frost is one of Florida’s biggest advocates against gun violence, inspired by his own experiences in the hands of gun violence, and driven after the Sandy Hooke Elementary school shooting in 2012.
Image Credit: New York Times
Now, Frost has brought his work to new heights, with President Biden announcing the Office Of Gun Violence Protection on September 21, 2023. The White House released an official statement regarding the new office, saying that it will build upon the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act, that Biden passed in 2022. Vice President Kamala Harris will be overseeing the office, which will act in reducing violence and encouraging and educating congressional, local, and policymakers to implement and build upon the progress of gun violence prevention. In the official White House statement Biden describes the blocks upon which the office will be built.
“I’ll continue to urge Congress to take commonsense actions that the majority of Americans support like enacting universal background checks and banning assault weapons and high-capacity magazines,” Biden said. “But in the absence of that sorely needed action, the Office of Gun Violence Prevention along with the rest of my Administration will continue to do everything it can to combat the epidemic of gun violence that is tearing our families, our communities, and our country apart.”
On September 22, Biden and Harris announced the Office of Gun Violence Prevention at Rose Garden, where hundreds of people attended, a majority of which were victims of gun violence. Biden was introduced by Frost, who described his experience as a young member of Gen Z, living in Florida where gun violence has run rampant.
“As the youngest member of the United States Congress and the first member of Gen Z, I’m often asked what got me involved in this work,” said Frost. “And the answer is quite simple. I didn’t want to get shot in school.”
This announcement has come after Biden’s announcement of running for reelection, he hopes to increase the number of youth voter participation within his campaign. Democrats could not pass an assault weapons ban, with a republican controlled house making it extremely difficult for any effort for gun laws to be made. Despite this, the new office is a major step forward, making it the “central hub for enforcement, coordination, public outreach,” according to White House correspondent Laura Barrón-López. Biden and Harris hope for the office to create change within America, especially in states like Florida, where Frost and March For Our Lives are trying to make an impact.
“After years of organizing as a young person impacted by gun violence in America, like so many, and introducing my first bill ever to create an Office of Gun Violence Prevention, it was an honor to stand alongside President Biden and Vice President Harris as the Biden Administration turned our calls for action into reality,” said Frost. “For the first time ever, we will have a federal Office of Gun Violence Prevention. This move will save lives.
Works Cited:
https://marchforourlives.com/mission-story/
https://www.frostforcongress.com/issues#gunviolence
https://frost.house.gov/issues/gun-violence
https://www.nytimes.com/2023/09/22/us/politics/biden-office-gun-violence-prevention.html
https://www.gunviolencearchive.org/