Salud Ortiz Carbajal: “I rise with a heavy heart, imagining the pain felt in Parkland, Florida. No parent should have to send their children to…”

“I rise with a heavy heart, imagining the pain felt in Parkland, Florida. No parent should have to send their children to school each day wondering if they will return home. While details of the shooting in Florida are still emerging, it is clear this horrific act of violence was perpetrated by an individual in crisis. I lost my older sister to suicide with a firearm at a young age. What I have learned since is that helping to prevent people in crisis from temporarily having a gun saves lives. Today, I urge my colleagues to support the Gun Violence Restraining Order Act, allowing family members or law enforcement officials to petition a judge to temporarily remove firearms from an individual in crisis. For those who keep repeating after each mass shooting that it is too soon to discuss gun violence reform, please consider that for many families, including my own, it is far too late. We owe these families more than just our thoughts and prayers. We owe them sensible gun laws that protect our children from needless gun violence. ____________________”