Cavitation (noun): the formation of an empty space within a solid object or body. This is the mechanism by which the ammunition from an assault-style weapon penetrates another person’s body. If that person happens to be a child, like the 19 children slaughtered at Robb Elementary on May 24, 2022; or one of the three 8- and 9-year-olds from the Covenant School in Tennessee on March 27; then the impact and penetration will essentially liquefy their organs. I challenge anyone reading this to find a reason why any American citizen who is not in the military has a need to possess a weapon that can liquefy the organs of a child with the pull of a trigger.

I’ll save you some time: we do not need access to these weapons. There is absolutely no reason to have unfettered access to these weapons. When the Bill of Rights was ratified in 1791, assault rifles had not yet been developed. I think we can easily assume that our Founding Fathers did not intend for the Second Amendment to be a free pass for untrained, average citizens to access firearms that are solely for the purpose of hunting and slaughtering other human beings, including children.

Voting to pass HB23-1230 and ban assault weapons in Colorado will send a number of crucial messages to Coloradans. It will tell us that our elected officials are dedicated to the safety of their citizens. It will also tell us that they hold a great respect for our Founding Fathers, our Constitution, and the Second Amendment — as its original intention was not, in fact, to give citizens the right to weapons of war. And finally, most importantly, it will send the message to those who have survived the abject terror of being targeted by an assault weapon — that they matter, and everything will be done to prevent it from happening again.

To my fellow Coloradans reading this: get on Twitter, get on social media, and start sending emails to your elected officials. We deserve better. Let’s show our neighbors in Tennessee who are currently outraged with their lawmakers about inaction on this issue; that we know how to organize and hold lawmakers accountable to protect their constituents.

Gina M. Myers

Castle Rock