Ending Gun Violence

40,000 Americans die each year from gun violence. Mass shootings have become a nearly daily occurrence, destroying families and fear-stricken communities. When it comes to gun violence, there is no other industrialized nation like us. Gun violence affects everyone in America without distinction for race, class, or geography. While there are clearly “common sense reforms” that must be passed, such as mandatory background checks and an assault weapons ban, we also must be mindful that 70% of firearm deaths involve handguns. There are just too many guns in America (121 firearms per 100 residents); the country with the second most guns, Yemen, “only” has 53 guns per 100 residents.

The data is clear: the more guns in a community, the more violence there is.

To address gun violence, we must challenge inequality and the socioeconomic factors that lead to violence. We must address our culture of militarism and war. And we must be unafraid to advocate for limiting gun access and repealing the 2nd amendment.

Ending Gun Violence:

• Advocate for repealing the 2nd amendment

• Ban assault weapons and high capacity magazines

• Mandate universal background checks, including at gun shows

• Institute national licensing program with frequent safety training, firearm education, mental health and suicide prevention education, and psychological checkups for all firearm owners

• Implement extreme risk protection orders for individuals who have had violent incidents

• Demilitarize all law enforcement

• Require de-escalation and nonviolent crisis prevention training for all law enforcement

• Address the history of US militarism and empire that includes glorification of police and military violence