No one should have to experience the pain that my family and I did, and still do, after losing Henry to gun violence. Recently The Capital Times reported that, In a televised Republican gubernatorial town hall at the beginning of August, and again during this month’s gubernatorial debate, Tim Michels expressed opposition to commonsense gun safety measures that can be used to protect victims of domestic violence, saying abusers should not have their weapons removed just because an “angry ex, ex-spouse makes a complaint.”

Not only do Michels’ comments incorrectly represent the purpose of extreme risk protective order laws, which help prevent gun violence across the country by allowing officials to act on early warning signs by removing firearms from people at risk of harming themselves or others, but he also belittles the experiences of domestic violence survivors by reducing them to nothing more than someone angry at an ex.

During Domestic Violence Awareness Month, it is worth reminding voters that domestic violence is neither a rare nor an isolated phenomenon, with domestic violence affecting more than 10 million Americans every year. Domestic violence occurs across age, race, gender, geography and financial means and can take many forms, including physical and psychological assaults.   Please help us by sharing Henry’s petition. Sincerely, Henry’s Mother