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A wreath of flowers is left at the Annunciation Catholic Church after the recent school shooting there. It is from the families of victims of the Robb Elementary School school shootings in Uvalde, Texas. Credit: AP Photo/Abbie Parr

When elected officials dismiss the call for stronger gun laws as “political theater,” they ignore the lived reality of families torn apart by gun violence.

The recent mass shooting in Minneapolis, where two children —Fletcher Merkel, 8, and Harper Moyski, 10 — were killed outside a Catholic school, is a tragic reminder of the urgent need for action. In response, Sen. Richard Blumenthal and Connecticut advocates called on lawmakers to strengthen gun laws and ensure schools are safe places for children.

Melissa Kane

Some politicians responded by calling Sen. Blumenthal’s remarks “faux outrage” and a “sad attempt to politicize this tragedy.” That reaction is exactly the problem.

Gun violence has been treated as optional by too many leaders, who refuse to see it as the urgent public health crisis it is. Instead of working with us to prevent tragedies, they blame “rhetoric” and “the media” while sidestepping the clear evidence: States – like Connecticut – with stronger gun laws have fewer gun deaths. That is not “faux outrage.” That is fact.

Here in Connecticut, our laws—Ethan’s Law, bans on assault weapons and high-capacity magazines, extreme risk protection orders—have saved lives. We are proof that smart gun policy works. But our borders are porous, and weak laws in other states undermine our progress. That is why national action is necessary.

No parent should have to send their child to school fearing they may not come home. And in a country where politically motivated shootings are on the rise — from attacks on faith communities to violence at political events — we cannot ignore the reality that gun violence and political violence are increasingly intertwined. No community should normalize daily shootings. And no elected official should score political points off the grief of families while blocking the very policies that could protect them.

Gun violence prevention isn’t about left versus right. It’s about life versus death. Inaction comes at a cost we can no longer afford.

Melissa Kane is the Board Chair of Connecticut Against Gun Violence.