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On the heels of a school shooting, NC Republicans are inviting carnage with a gun bill | Opinion

I have a lot of identities — Democratic state senator, mom, breast cancer survivor, gun owner.

The last one may surprise some people, but I am a strong proponent of the Second Amendment. As a mother and a woman, I am keenly aware of the dangers that exist in our society. Safety is one of my No. 1 priorities, and being a gun owner affords me the ability to protect myself and my family.

As a gun owner, I respect the rules and responsibilities that come with ownership. That’s why I securely store my guns and keep them out of the reach of my children and their friends. And I am part of the 87% of N.C. gun owners who support universal background checks.

Sydney Batch
Sydney Batch

Far too many dangerous individuals, including those with a history of domestic violence or serious mental health problems, try to get their hands on these deadly weapons, wishing to do harm to themselves or others. This is not an abstract worry for me. In 2018, a man was convicted of felony counts of communicating threats and cyberstalking me. He is due to be released from prison in the coming months, and a background check is all that is stopping him from being able to acquire a gun and carry out his threats against me.

In the Senate, I have fought for common-sense gun safety reform, like universal background checks, which would make it harder for the wrong people to get guns. These reforms are supported by the majority of my fellow gun owners. Unfortunately, Senate Republicans have voted down every attempt to make our communities safer, from universal background checks to red flag laws.

Now my Republican colleagues in the N.C. General Assembly have voted to repeal the state’s pistol permit requirement, which would allow individuals to buy pistols without a background check, a critical tool law enforcement relies on to keep our communities safe.

Last Friday, Gov. Roy Cooper vetoed this dangerous bill, citing the risks it poses to community safety, and in particular, survivors of domestic violence and children. Because as if the elimination of background checks wasn’t enough, the bill also allows guns on some school properties, increasing the chances that a child could find and access a deadly weapon.

Gun violence is on the rise in North Carolina. And as Monday’s shooting at a school in Nashville showed, our children are at particular risk.

From 2012 to 2021 in our state, gun deaths among children increased more than 200%, according to the annual report from the state’s Child Fatality Task Force. Guns are now the leading cause of death for children, killing more children n North Carolina yearly than car accidents do.

As a mom, my heart aches when I drop off my sons at school, knowing that they are at risk of being harmed by someone with too easy access to a firearm. It seems like almost every week, my husband and I get notified that a gun was found on school grounds somewhere in Wake County. There’s nothing worse than feeling powerless to keep your children safe.

Despite the agonizing fear of parents and widespread opposition from responsible gun owners, Republicans in the N.C. legislature are doubling down on their stance and fighting to override the governor’s veto. In a week where we should be celebrating 600,000 North Carolinians getting healthcare through Medicaid expansion, we are once again fighting tooth and nail to prevent the next mass shooting and stop the carnage of gun violence in our communities.

And carnage it will be. After Missouri repealed its pistol permit rules in 2007, the state’s murder rate increased 14% over the next five years, while murder rates dropped 5% nationwide.

My Republican colleagues have been presented with these statistics and yet remain unmoved. They are intent on making it possible for any individual, no matter how dangerous, to acquire a deadly weapon, no questions asked.

Well, I have one question. Why are my Republican colleagues ignoring the will of gun owners, parents, N.C. voters, and our duly elected governor, to make us less safe?

Sydney Batch is a N.C. state senator who represents Senate District 17. She lives in Wake County.