A favorite argument by those who oppose gun safety legislation, and now Supreme Court justices expanding the reach of the Second Amendment to invalidate common-sense gun laws, is to say that the most recent, sickening mass shooting would not have been prevented by the proposed law, or the law being invalidated. Although this is often true, and no gun safety law can stop all death and injury by guns, it misses the point—to protect many members of society who will never know that they have been protected. Some of these people even oppose gun safety measures.

Here in New Jersey we, all of us, have been protected by some of the most restrictive and effective gun safety laws in the country. Our sons and daughters have come home safely from school, the movies, parties, concerts and other public events. We have gone shopping and come home safely. Our loved ones, including children, have not killed or harmed themselves or others, at least not with guns. None of us will ever know whether these safe experiences resulted from gun safety laws, but some of them have.