6 Ways You Can Help Reduce the Risk of Gun Violence
Another 9 people are dead after a mass shooting last night in Dayton after 20 were killed earlier in the day Saturday in El Paso. And neither toll counts the people in hospitals who may still die or who will spend years recovering from wounds. Here are six things you can do to help put public safety first.
Believe that change is possible. Gun rights groups would have you believe that the 2nd Amendment is an absolute right akin to an 11th Commandment handed down by God. The fact is it was added to codify the right of states to raise a local militia in country without a standing federal army—not to codify an individual right to bear arms. Over time, legal experts friendly to the gun rights cause were able to elicit a series of court rulings strengthening to notion of an individual right to bear arms. These rulings culminated in the U.S. Supreme Court’s infamous (and erroneous) Heller decision, which protects the right of an individual to own a firearm outside of a “well-regulated militia”. But even in the Heller ruling, pains are taken to point out the right to own firearms is not unlimited: “It is not a right to keep and carry any weapon whatsoever in any manner whatsoever and for whatever purpose: For example, concealed weapons prohibitions have been upheld under the Amendment or state analogues. The Court’s opinion should not be taken to cast doubt on longstanding prohibitions on the possession of firearms by felons and the mentally ill, or laws forbidding the carrying of firearms in sensitive places such as schools and government buildings, or laws imposing conditions and qualifications on the commercial sale of arms.” The bottom line is that advocating for tighter control over firearms is not impossible because of our laws. As citizens, we have the power and the duty to change those laws and add new ones, where necessary, to better protect public safety.
Make your voice heard. As I wrote earlier this weekend, in New Hampshire the legislature has passed three sensible measures to help reduce the risk of gun violence. If you believe that counting on weak laws and good fortune is bad governing and poor risk management strategy, please call Governor Sununu at 603-271-2121 and ask him to sign the bills supporting universal background checks, a mandatory 3 day waiting period for most firearms purchases, and gun-free safety zones for our public schools. Also contact our U.S. Senators and Representatives via the U.S. Capitol Switchboard at 202-224-3121 and ask them to OPPOSE legislation that would allow concealed carry across all 50 states and to support legislation banning or severely restricting rapid fire weapons and high capacity magazines. It also helps tremendously when you write letters to the editor supporting tighter gun laws as well as show up for public hearings on these laws at the state level. Opponents of sensible gun legislation are highly visible and are effective advocates for their cause. To win, we need to be even more effective—and this starts with showing up.
Make your vote count. Make it a point to know which of your elected state, local, and federal officials accept contributions from and the support of gun rights groups and gun manufacturers. At election time, hold your elected officials accountable for failing to support stronger gun laws. Websites like Open Secrets show which corporations and organizations are making contributions to candidates for office and many gun rights groups publish ratings of politicians based on their votes. (This is a case where scoring an “F” is a good thing).
Join a gun safety group. In New Hampshire, Moms Demand Action has been a powerful force for changes in our state laws. To join, go to their website or Facebook Group.
Educate yourself. Opponents of sensible gun legislation often use their detailed knowledge of the law and how firearms work to mock proponents of gun safety laws. They often counter the emotional arguments of people saying “enough is enough” by selectively twisting the facts to “gunsplain” to them how new laws won’t solve the problem, often offering absolutist interpretations of constitutional law that fly in the face of the Heller decision. Two of the better sites to visit to educate yourself are the Giffords Law Center, which has up-to-date information on state and federal gun laws and crime statistics, and The Trace, which publishes research and statistical analysis.
Store firearms safely. If you’re a gun owner, make sure your firearms aren’t accessible to children or with access to your home who is depressed or has a mental health issue. Leave weapons unloaded and use trigger locks and gun safes.