OPINION: The Democrats’ new advertisement against gun violence shows party’s unity

Opinion writer Maddie Kramer, a junior studying political science, elaborates on why the new anti-gun violence advertisement from Democratic candidates is important for voters.

[dropcap txtcolor="#234a83"]A[/dropcap]head of the next Democratic debate on Thursday in Texas, eight prominent Democrats running for the presidency debuted a joint advertisement against gun violence. In a time where candidates are attacking each other left and right (remember Tulsi Gabbard and Kamala Harris at the last debate?), this is an important move to show unity. In light of the recent mass shootings within days of each other in Dayton and El Paso, Texas, the call to action makes sense and is an important statement from the Democrats.Gun control is a prominent issue for Democrats. After “Medicare for All” and student loan debt, gun violence was the most discussed issue at the previous Democratic debates.Beto O’Rourke, who starred in the commercial, was in the spotlight in August following the shooting in a Walmart targeting Mexicans in Texas. O’Rourke received a lot of screen time on many prominent news stations talking about his plans for gun control. This commercial is also a little tamer for O’Rourke, who is known for swearing on the campaign trail, as shown when he called gun violence in America “f----d up.” This commercial has a solemn, yet hopeful tone. The advertisement entitled “Our Kids Deserve to be Safe at School,” featuring eight of the 10 prominent Democrats running for president, is affiliated with Rep. Gabby Giffords’ gun control organization, Courage to Fight Gun Violence. [AdSense-A]The commercial is a powerful message displaying unity and solidarity in a time where the Democratic Party is becoming divided between primary candidates. It also makes each candidate look more appealing before the primary. Seeing Kamala Harris and Joe Biden in the same commercial with a positive message reminds voters what is important about the 2020 election — electing a Democrat that moves forward on gun control. In a time of divisive politics, this new commercial gets the Democrats back on track and focused on 2020. While they may attack each other on stage in Texas on Thursday, this commercial shows these candidates are unified behind ending gun violence and introducing gun control legislation.  Please note that these views and opinions do not reflect those of The New Political.