U.S. VP Kamala Harris calls for federal ban on assault weapons
July 6, 2022, 10:26 am

U.S. VP Kamala Harris calls for federal ban on assault weapons

U.S. President Joe Biden with Vice President Kamala Harris (File photo: Kamala Harris Facebook page)

Us Vice President Kamala Harris arrived in the north suburb Tuesday evening (July 5) calling for federal action on assault weapons. The announcement came less than 36 hours after a shooter opened fire at the Fourth of July parade in Highland Park, killing seven people.

"We've got to be smarter as a country in terms of who has access to what, in particular, assault weapons," said Harris, who was joined by Highland Park Mayor Nancy Rotering and other Democratic politicians.

"And we've got to take this stuff seriously. The whole nation should understand and have a level of empathy to understand that this could happen anywhere in any peace-loving community. And we should stand together and speak out about why it's got to stop."

Earlier in the day, Harris called for reinstituting a national assault weapon ban.

"We have more to do. We have more to do. Congress needs to have the courage to act and renew the assault weapons ban," Harris told a group of educators at the National Education Association conference at McCormick Place in Chicago.

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"We need reasonable gun safety laws. And we need to have Congress stop protecting those gun manufacturers with the liability shield. Repeal it. Repeal it."

A few hours later, in a short speech given in the heart of Highland Park, Harris offered condolences from President Joe Biden.

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Harris said: "You know that you have a whole nation that cares deeply about you, and stands with you. This is an incredibly tight community. I know that.”

She added; "And this person will be brought to justice, but it's not going to undo what happened. And we're here for you and we stand with you."

Just hours before Harris visited Highland Park, Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker advocated for a state-level ban on assault weapons and high-capacity magazines while also calling for similar action on a federal level.

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Pritzker said in a statement: "We urgently need federal regulation on the weapons of war and high capacity magazines that are used only for mass murder.”

"Illinois is not an island, and even with … some of the strictest gun laws in the nation, our state is only as safe as the state with the weakest laws — many of which border Illinois."

The comments from Harris and Pritzker come amid a national debate about mass shootings and gun control efforts. Pritzker's opponent in the fall, Republican nominee Darren Bailey, a state senator from Downstate Xenia, is an ardent gun rights supporter who opposes firearms regulations.

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On Tuesday (July 5), Bailey continued to try to walk back comments he made after the shooting when he posted a video on Facebook praying for victims and law enforcement and declared "let's move on and let's celebrate" the holiday.

Bailey took to Twitter Tuesday to pivot from that sentiment and urged the public to "commit to better addressing mental health in Illinois and across the nation."

Source: anews

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BENEFIT, the Kingdom’s innovator and leading company in Fintech and electronic financial transactions service, has sponsored the BuildHer CityHack 2025 Hackathon, a two-day event spearheaded by the College of Engineering and Technology at the Royal University for Women (RUW).
Aimed at secondary school students, the event brought together a distinguished group of academic professionals and technology experts to mentor and inspire young participants.
More than 100 high school students from across the Kingdom of Bahrain took part in the hackathon, which featured an intensive programme of training workshops and hands-on sessions. These activities were tailored to enhance participants’ critical thinking, collaborative problem-solving, and team-building capabilities, while also encouraging the development of practical and sustainable solutions to contemporary challenges using modern technological tools.
BENEFIT’s Chief Executive Mr. Abdulwahed AlJanahi, commented: “Our support for this educational hackathon reflects our long-term strategic vision to nurture the talents of emerging national youth and empower the next generation of accomplished female leaders in technology. By fostering creativity and innovation, we aim to contribute meaningfully to Bahrain’s comprehensive development goals and align with the aspirations outlined in the Kingdom’s Vision 2030—an ambition in which BENEFIT plays a central role.”
Professor Riyadh Yousif Hamzah, President of the Royal University for Women, commented: “This initiative reflects our commitment to advancing women in STEM fields. We're cultivating a generation of creative, solution-driven female leaders who will drive national development. Our partnership with BENEFIT exemplifies the powerful synergy between academia and private sector in supporting educational innovation.”
Hanan Abdulla Hasan, Senior Manager, PR & Communication at BENEFIT, said: “We are honoured to collaborate with RUW in supporting this remarkable technology-focused event. It highlights our commitment to social responsibility, and our ongoing efforts to enhance the digital and innovation capabilities of young Bahraini women and foster their ability to harness technological tools in the service of a smarter, more sustainable future.”
For his part, Dr. Humam ElAgha, Acting Dean of the College of Engineering and Technology at the University, said: “BuildHer CityHack 2025 embodies our hands-on approach to education. By tackling real-world problems through creative thinking and sustainable solutions, we're preparing women to thrive in the knowledge economy – a cornerstone of the University's vision.”