LETTER: Cory Booker, Democrats and gun proposals

In communities across the country, from El Paso to Las Vegas, Americans are being killed and families are being torn apart by an epidemic of gun violence. There is a dire and moral urgency in combating this epidemic. We have to stop acting like this is impossible. And further, we have to stop the fear-mongering seen in Victor Joecks’ Oct. 4 column “Gun-grabbing Democrats call Trump a tyrant.”

Comparing President Donald Trump’s praise of dictators to Democratic candidates who want to combat the epidemic of gun violence in this country is simply offensive — not just to the advocates and people who are demanding change, but to those who have been impacted by gun violence.

There’s room for conversation on solutions to address gun violence. Unfortunately, this isn’t it. Nearly 70 percent of voters support an assault weapons ban. The people are already there, and the least we can ask of our leaders is to keep up with them. Cory Booker is doing just that — he has the boldest gun violence prevention plan based on evidence-based research of what works. He knows that we are not going to end this crisis with a patchwork of state laws — we need federal action, and we need federal licensing. And we cannot afford to wait.