What to know about children and gun safety
Nearly 3,000 children ages 1-17 are wounded in the U.S. each year in unintentional shootings, according to BradyUnited.org. Here’s what to know about gun safety.
Detroit Free Press
I was a senior at Oxford High School on Nov. 30, 2021, when a 15-year-old student with a gun left the school bathroom, entered the hallway, and began shooting. My best friend Madisyn and I were walking from class, talking about normal things: what we were doing after school, an upcoming test. Then, all I remember is chaos. At 17, Madisyn was shot in our school hallway. She died there.
No child — no person — should ever have to experience this. But what we went through at Oxford isn’t unique. Last month, a 14-year-old student opened fire at a Georgia high school and killed four people. This summer, nine people were shot at a splash pad in Rochester Hills. Guns are the leading cause of death for young people in the U.S — and each year in Michigan, 108 children and teens die from gunshots.
It doesn’t have to be this way.
We know that common-sense measures like safe storage laws, extreme risk laws, and universal background checks work to prevent shootings and save lives. But too many people in power — including our current U.S. Rep. John James — side with the corporate gun lobby instead of our safety.
None of this is abstract
James’s record is clear. He supports weakening state gun laws and opposes limits on buying semi-automatic weapons and high-capacity magazines — the weapons of choice for America’s mass shooters. He has advocated for abolishing gun-free zones and supports putting more guns in schools, despite clear evidence that this makes students and teachers less safe.
And as a representative he voted to repeal an executive order outlawing the use of so-called ”stabilizing” braces. These deadly devices are used to transform pistols into more lethal short-barreled rifles as a way to evade existing regulations. They were used by the 2023 school shooter at Covenant School to kill three 9-year-olds and three adults. It’s no wonder that the Gun Owners of America, a pro-gun extremist group, has rated John James 100% and the NRA has donated over $500,000 to his campaign.
Thankfully, we have another option this November. In stark contrast to John James, Democratic candidate Carl Marlinga believes in common sense gun safety policies that are supported by the majority of Michiganders and are proven to prevent gun violence.
Like me, Marlinga was exposed to gun violence at an early age. That’s why he’s determined to prevent these tragedies from happening to others, including by supporting evidence-based policies like safe firearm storage, a ban on assault weapons and universal background checks. And it’s why he’s earned a 0% rating from the NRA. In Michigan, legislators passed those laws. But it’s important to pass similar laws at the federal level to create a nationwide standard and provide more comprehensive protection for all Americans regardless of where they live.
If elected, we can count on Marlinga to stand up for our safety and not the interests of the gun lobby. But the outcome of this race also has the potential to impact families and communities far beyond our district’s borders. In 2022, James won by a mere 0.5% of the vote. This makes MI-10 one of the most flippable districts this cycle — and a key battleground in the fight for sensible gun legislation.
One vote can make the difference
In today’s closely divided Congress, one vote can be the difference between progress and gridlock on critical issues like gun safety. By electing Carl Marlinga, 10th District voters have the power to potentially cast the decisive vote on future life-saving legislation. His presence in Congress could be the tipping point that moves us from inaction to progress on gun safety measures that protect communities across America.
I wish that I could go back to my life before the shooting that day at Oxford. But I can’t change the past, nor can I end the grief and loss all of us feel in missing Madisyn.
What I can do — and what all of us can do — is honor the memory of those lost to gun violence by taking action to prevent future tragedies.
That’s why I hope you’ll join me in helping to elect Carl Malinga this November. The safety of our schools, our communities, and our nation hangs in the balance.
Madeline Johnson is a survivor of the Oxford High School shooting, a full-time college student and a Brady volunteer. Submit a letter to the editor at freep.com/letters and we may publish it online and in print.