Gun control is, to say the least, a seriously hot button issue in today's political arena. It seems that both sides of the argument can never seem to find a point of compromise. But gun control advocates are about to get some serious star power backing their efforts, in the form of hugely popular comedian Amy Schumer. Schumer recently joined in the debate a mass shooting last month killed three people in a Louisiana movie theater during a screening of Schumer's new film Trainwreck. The event marked the second incident in the past five years of a mass murder in a movie theater setting (the Aurora, CO shooting that killed 12 people and injured 70 happened in 2012). Schumer and the film's director, Judd Apatow, both expressed their horror at this latest shooting incident, but it was an open letter from Sara Clements (whose mother managed to survive the Sandy Hook massacre) that prompted Schumer to take serious action.
@cdickason11@sfclem Her name was Mayci, not Marci and I think about her and Jillian everyday. Don't worry I'm on it. You'll see.
— Amy Schumer (@amyschumer) August 1, 2015
Schumer is teaming up with her cousin, Senator Chuck Schumer of New York, to help bring forth a new three-tiered gun control public initiative. Unlike previous attempts at legislative action, this plan will focus mainly on background checks and mental health screenings, which are among the first many blame when mass shootings like the ones in Louisiana and Colorado occur (a majority of such attacks were attributed to mentally unstable or dangerous perpetrators gaining access to firearms when they shouldn't have been able to under current laws). The two Schumers will also urge the Department of Justice to require states to release info regarding how they handle "involuntary mental health commitments."
Amy Schumer has never been afraid to say what so desperately needs to be said, and she doesn't draw the line at even something as controversial as gun control. We admire her determination and wish her and Sen. Schumer the best of luck, because these types of senseless attacks cannot and should not continue happening.