In the wake of Wednesday's devastating shooting in San Bernardino, California, people are having serious conversations about gun control. The mass shooting claimed the lives of at least 14 individuals and injured 21. This tragedy marks the 355th mass shooting in the U.S. in the past 337 days. It doesn't take a mathematician to determine that this means there have been more shootings than days on the calendar thus far. That's why politicians and celebrities alike are speaking out about the need for change. Hillary Clinton, Bernie Sanders, Brie Larson, Rashida Jones, and more have raised their voices. Another outspoken advocate for gun safety? Amy Schumer. The Trainwreck actress is urging her fans to take action to end gun violence and her words are incredibly important. Schumer tweeted,
This is absolutely heartbreaking-all my love to everyone in San Bernardino especially the first responders. These shootings must stop ... it doesn't have to be this way. join the movement and help us #endgunviolence -> wecanendgunviolence.org
It's admirable that Schumer is encouraging her followers to take action, because sometimes people feel helpless after these kinds of tragedies and don't know how to make a difference — or maybe even feel like they can't. Responding to naysayers, the comedian clarified that she's not saying to take away all guns. She's just advocating for better background checks, because as she perfectly puts it, "We can do better."
Here's her powerful stream of tweets:
This isn't the first time that Schumer has spoken up about gun control. In July, an equally tragic shooting took place in Lafayette, Louisiana at a screening of her movie Trainwreck. Afterwards, Schumer teamed up with her cousin New York Senator Chuck Schumer to work together on legislation for more thorough background checks for gun owners, as well as funding mental health initiatives.
Amy Schumer also integrates her beliefs into her comedy, by using humor to highlight the way people respond to guns in this country. Here's a powerful sketch from when she guest-starred on Saturday Night Live :
To follow Schumer's lead, here's a list of ways you can make your voice heard and advocate for stricter gun control. And here are three petitions you can sign right now.
