Claudia Fruin: On gun safety, Utah’s families don’t need empty gestures

As national tragedies played out in Uvalde, Buffalo and Tulsa over the past two weeks, it was a reminder that Utah is touched by tragedy every day. On average, someone is killed with a gun in Utah every 22 hours – a rate that’s higher than half the states in our country.

Despite gun violence tearing apart Utah’s families and communities, our legislature and governor have made this crisis worse. In March, Gov. Spencer Cox signed SB115, which removed local officials’ ability to pass gun safety laws. In 2021, Utah’s legislature also enacted HB60, a law that removes the need for a license to carry a concealed firearm. Now anyone 21+ can carry a concealed weapon without safety education and firearm training.

As a longtime Utah resident, pediatrician and gun owner, I was outraged by the state’s public safety rollbacks. So, it was no surprise that after the Uvalde school shooting the state did nothing but lower flags to half-mast.

Lowering a flag is not going to prevent a child from accessing an unsecured shotgun. Lowering a flag won’t prevent a domestic abuser from buying a handgun without a background check. And lowering a flag is not going to limit the number of bullets a mass shooter can unleash from an AR-15 in seconds. Utah’s families don’t need empty gestures, they need action. If leaders in Utah won’t prioritize our safety, our elected officials in Washington must.

In a rare display of bipartisanship, Congress is on the precipice of doing just that. This week, the U.S. House of Representatives passed the Protecting Our Kids Act, which would raise the purchasing age for semi-automatic rifles to 21 and require gun owners to safely store their firearms. In the Senate, a bipartisan group of senators are also working to develop a package of gun safety reforms. Early reports suggest the Senate package could include expanding background checks, increased funding for mental health services, and establishing a red-flag system.

The vast majority of Utahns support these protective reforms. Nearly 90% of Utah voters support background checks on all gun sales, over 70% support requiring gun buyers to be at least 21 years old, and nearly 60% support banning high-capacity magazines.

Utahns support these measures because they know we are in crisis. For the first time in history, the Centers for Disease Control recently announced that firearms were the leading cause of death for children in America – more than cancer, heart disease or car accidents. As a pediatrician, I know these deaths are preventable. As a mother and grandmother, I am outraged.

Utahns also support gun reforms because we know we can keep our kids safe while also protecting our Second Amendment rights. As a responsible gun owner myself, I know that requiring background checks for gun sales isn’t an infringement on my rights, it’s an effective way to ensure other gun owners are safe and responsible.

If we can’t pass protective gun laws in Utah, then our leaders must bring urgency and action to Washington. Sen. Mitt Romney has promised to be a “constructive voice” for action after the latest string of mass shootings across America. Recognizing the majority of his constituents want gun reform, Romney has already voiced support for strengthening background check requirements, and in the past has supported banning assault weapons.

I join a growing chorus of medical professionals, gun owners and Utahns in urging Romney to follow through on his commitment and vote to pass gun reforms that will keep our communities safe. Our kids can’t wait a moment longer for action.

Claudia Fruin is a pediatrician and gun violence prevention advocate and founder of Bulletproof Kids safe gun storage campaign. She is also a Utah ambassador for Giffords Gun Owners for Safety.