We are the generation that grew up with active shooter drills. I’ll never forget crouching under a desk as a student, wondering if that day might be the day a shooter came to our school. We’ve lost classmates, neighbors, and friends to senseless gun violence. We’ve learned to live with fear in places that should be safe from schools and movie theaters to grocery stores and places of worship. And we’re done accepting this as normal. Gun violence is now the leading cause of death for American children and teens, surpassing even car accidents. That is not freedom – that is a public health crisis and a moral failure. I respect responsible gun owners; I know many here in Illinois who are hunters or keep firearms for self-defense. The Second Amendment is part of our Constitution. But rights come with responsibilities, and we can uphold the Second Amendment while enacting common-sense measures to keep our kids and communities safe. This isn’t about taking away rights; it’s about protecting lives. I refuse to let the next generation grow up thinking that mass shootings and daily bloodshed are just the way things have to be. We have the power to change this, and my generation is demanding it loud and clear.

Here’s what I’ll fight for in Congress: 

• Universal background checks on all gun sales. It’s simple: every firearm purchase should require a background check, no matter where or from whom you buy. Right now, loopholes allow private sales at gun shows or online to bypass checks. Over 85% of Americans including the vast majority of gun owners support universal background checks as basic due diligence. If we require a license to drive a car, we can require a background check to buy a gun. No more excuses, no more loopholes, this is common sense to keep guns out of the hands of felons, domestic abusers, and those legally adjudicated a danger. 

• Ban weapons of war and high-capacity magazines. I support reinstating and strengthening the federal Assault Weapons Ban. AR-15s and similar semi-automatic rifles, especially when coupled with high-capacity magazines. These weapons have no place on our streets or in civilian hands. They are designed to kill as many people as quickly as possible; we’ve seen it time and again in school and mall shootings. It’s time to stop selling these weapons of war to the public. I’ll also push to ban magazines that hold more than 10 rounds. No hunter or homeowner needs 30 or 50 rounds at their disposal, but mass shooters have repeatedly used such magazines to inflict maximum carnage. These measures will save lives, full stop. 

• Pass the Safe Futures Act (counselors not guns in schools). You shouldn’t have to walk through a metal detector to get an education. Instead of turning our schools into fortresses, let’s address the problem at its roots. I’m proposing the Safe Futures Act, which will make schools and communities safer by investing in care, not just security. This bill will fund more school counselors, psychologists, and social workers especially in areas where trauma is high and resources are low so that we can identify and help troubled youth before they turn to violence. It will expand mentorship and peer mediation programs, giving students outlets and support. And yes, it will improve basic safety infrastructure in schools (like secure doors and alarm systems) without militarizing the environment. We will put federal dollars behind community organizations doing the real work to interrupt violence from youth job programs to mental health clinics. The goal is simple: make safety something we build every day, not just something we scramble for when it’s too late. 

• Promote safe storage and responsible gun ownership. Many firearm deaths, including youth suicides and accidental shootings happen because guns aren’t stored securely. I will champion programs to distribute free or subsidized gun safes and trigger locks to anyone who needs them. I’ll also support public education campaigns about safe storage practices. Additionally, I back strong “red flag” laws (extreme risk protection orders) that allow family members or law enforcement to temporarily remove guns from someone showing violent or suicidal behavior (with due process protections). Responsible gun ownership means taking steps to ensure guns never fall into the wrong hands or cause unintended tragedy. 

• Invest in community violence intervention. Stopping mass shootings is critical, but so is tackling the daily toll of gun violence that doesn’t make national headlines. In our own communities, gun violence is a chronic issue often tied to cycles of poverty, trauma, and lack of opportunity. I will fight for major federal grants to support community-led violence interruption programs such as initiatives that send trained counselors and mediators (often ex-offenders or respected community members) into conflict hotspots to defuse tensions before shots are fired. I’ll push for funding for youth job programs, after-school activities, and mentorship in neighborhoods hardest-hit by violence. When young people have hope and pathways to success, when conflicts are mediated and guns are taken out of the equation, we can break the cycle. This approach has worked in cities that have tried it; let’s scale it up nationally. 

I also know this fight is personal for so many of us. I carry with me the story of friends who’ve lost loved ones and the memory of every vigil I’ve attended. I won’t rest until we do what’s right. Enough is enough. Our kids deserve to grow up free from fear. Our communities deserve to be safe. We can respect the Second Amendment and enact sensible reforms – the two are not in conflict. My generation calls B.S. on the idea that “nothing can be done.” We will not let Washington off the hook. I’ll bring the full force of our movement to Congress to finally address gun violence with the urgency and courage this crisis demands.