BELEN, NM, May 16, 2023 — In response to Monday’s fatal gun rampage in Farmington, NM yesterday, The Democratic Party of Valencia County today called for a unified, bipartisan response to the gun violence that is devastating communities in New Mexico and around the country.
Party Chair Summer Ludwig issued an invitation today to Republican and independent voters in Valencia County to support action against the plague of gun related deaths that has engulfed New Mexico in recent years. “Yesterday’s deaths in Farmington were heartbreaking but they are just the latest example of the surge in gun violence that we’re experiencing here in New Mexico,” she said. “We cannot continue to do nothing. People of good faith can and do argue about the right way to stem this tide of violence but surely we have reached a point where every one of us can agree that doing nothing is no longer acceptable.”
Ms. Ludwig noted that polling has consistently shown that voters from both political parties favor action to stem gun violence by a large margin. “To pretend that this is a partisan issue is disingenuous and does a disservice to our community,” she explained. “We cannot allow the things we don’t agree on to prevent us from decisively taking important actions that voters of both parties support.”
Everystat.org estimates that the annual societal cost of gun violence in New Mexico is the fifth highest in the entire United States. On average, gun violence in our state incurs costs that average over $3,000 per year for every single resident. A recent Gallup poll showed that dissatisfaction with our current gun laws is the highest it has ever been during the 23 years that the organization has been polling on this question.
While gun violence can be a contentious and polarizing issue, Ms. Ludwig believes that New Mexico can no longer ignore the costs that guns are imposing on our communities. “The Democratic Party of Valencia County rejects the idea that this is an insoluble problem and we are determined to work with people of good faith from both parties to address this tragic situation,” she said.
“Let’s all honor the victims in Farmington by coming together as a community this time and insisting that enough is enough. Let’s agree that, regardless of which political party we support, we will all no longer accept ‘nothing’ as an acceptable response to the gun violence that is wrenching our communities apart and devastating our families,” Ms. Ludwig implored. “The residents of the communities we represent deserve nothing less.”
