An Iowan too young to caucus explains why he is urging others to stand in Martin O’Malley’s corner. -promoted by desmoinesdem
I was just ten years old when the unthinkable occurred. A man brought four semiautomatic weapons to Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut, and started firing. Shooting over 150 rounds in a few minutes, he killed sixteen six-year-olds, four seven-year-olds, and six adults. As horrifying as this massacre of first-graders and their teachers is, similar assaults have occurred throughout our country on an almost daily basis. The unthinkable has now become a regular event—a church in Charleston, a movie theater in Louisiana, a community college in Oregon, a center for the developmentally disabled in San Bernardino, and in so many other places all around the country. We need common sense gun reform to stop this extreme violence, and that’s one of many reasons why I’m supporting Governor Martin O’Malley for President.
After tragedies like the ones I mentioned above, politicians often stress the need for thoughts and prayers. Those are good, but without accompanying action, nothing will change. As Maryland’s governor, Martin O’Malley took decisive action to make a meaningful difference, instituting some of our nation’s toughest regulations on guns. He recognizes the need to stand up for the American people against the NRA, and he has already done so while also protecting gun rights. As Governor O’Malley says, he has never met a hunter who needed an AR-15 to take down a deer. Our country needs this kind of common sense, proven leadership on this critical safety issue. No other candidate’s record even comes close to Martin O’Malley’s on common sense gun safety reform.
His record on gun safety is far from the only reason I’m supporting him, though. Take, for example, his record on helping New American immigrants. He signed the Maryland DREAM Act and defended it at the ballot box. He allowed undocumented immigrants to receive drivers’ licenses, maximizing public safety and economic benefits in Maryland. Rather than calling for rejection of Central American refugee families, he recognizes that America is at its best when we honor the promise posted on the Statue of Liberty, welcoming the “huddled masses yearning to breathe free.” His record attests that he is, quite simply, the best candidate to fix our broken immigration system.
On the environment, he has been the only candidate to call for powering America’s electric grid with 100% renewable energy by 2050 and taking advantage of the great economic opportunities clean energy offers. Again, his record in Maryland shows that he is a leader of action, not just words. He worked to save Chesapeake Bay, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and increase renewable energy production. Environmental awareness and action are essential to the well-being of our planet and future. Other candidates just can’t claim the same level of demonstrated leadership in their executive actions.
As a young person with concerns about the future, I strongly believe that Martin O’Malley’s impressive record of action demonstrates that he is the best candidate to lead our country. An O’Malley presidency would help halt the brutal gun violence that claims the lives of nearly 300 Americans every day, it would fix our broken immigration system, and it would combat the rising threat of climate change, which endangers not just our country but our entire planet. I cannot caucus, but I can volunteer and encourage others to support the candidate I think is our nation’s best choice. When it comes to the future of America, we need a principled progressive. We need a record of actions, not just words. We need President Martin O’Malley.