Jamaal Bowman reflects on inaction on gun control and the fate of the ‘Tennessee 3’

Rep. Jamaal Bowman, D-N.Y., joins Yahoo News national reporter Jayla Whitfield-Anderson to discuss his now viral outburst calling for action to prevent mass shootings and his thoughts on the three Tennessee state representatives who protested against inaction on gun violence last week. In the discussion, Bowman opened up about his own experiences with firearm deaths and the urgency for action to stop further loss of life, saying, “It needs to happen. This country only moves when people force it to move.”

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JAYLA WHITFIELD-ANDERSON: A couple of weeks ago, you kind of confronted the Republicans about the lack of gun reform initiatives that are taking place.

JAMAAL BOWMAN: More guns lead to more death. More guns lead to more death.

JAYLA WHITFIELD-ANDERSON: Can you talk a little bit about some of your feelings in that moment?

JAMAAL BOWMAN: Well the feeling was rage, frustration, confusion, just a lack of understanding why my colleagues on the other side of the aisle don't take this issue more seriously and don't respond with the sense of urgency. It was interesting because that was not planned. It was just how I felt at that time. But then when I reflected later on that evening, I realized how much gun violence has been a part of my life both personally and, obviously, watching it from afar as an American.

When I was in college, one of my best friend's younger sister, who was also a good friend of mine, her and her eight-month-old baby was shot and killed in Connecticut. My other best friend's mother was killed, brother was killed, and cousin was killed. So gun violence and senseless gun violence has been a part of my life since I was a kid.

And being an educator, the year after I started teaching, Columbine happened. Excuse me. The year before I started teaching, Columbine happened. A couple of years later, Virginia Tech happened. A couple of years later, the six-year-olds in Connecticut were killed. And we had no national day of mourning, no national response, no ban on assault rifles, nothing. So yeah. It was just I guess all of those emotions coming out at once is pretty much what America got to see a couple of weeks ago.

JAYLA WHITFIELD-ANDERSON: I know with the Tennessee Three, they were protesting, speaking out about this. Can you talk a little bit about your response to what they're going through after taking a stand on this issue?

JAMAAL BOWMAN: It's inspiring. And it's needed. And we need legislators in states across the country to do the same thing. There needs to be a mass protest, a mass movement, and mass resistance so that we could get something done on common sense gun control, period. It needs to happen. This country only moves when movements force it to move. Abolition. Suffrage. Civil rights. Gay rights. Those were all movements that led to policy changes. And we need that now more than ever, especially as we push back against the rise in the far-right MAGA Republicans, the rise in the ultra-conservative Supreme Court. We need a mass movement in our country.