Strength and Grace: Why Gun Violence Survivors Are The North Star Of Our Movement

Gun violence survivors are the North Star of Moms Demand Action, reminding us of why we do this work. They’re many of the hundreds of thousands of volunteers and millions of supporters that make us one of the largest grassroots movements in the country. Every day, survivors are in the trenches of the fight to change America’s gun culture — a fight we’re winning.

When I meet gun violence survivors as I travel across the country, I am consistently struck by their vulnerability and bravery. Every day, they turn their grief into action and their anger into purpose, pushing lawmakers to pass bills, pushing back on the gun lobby, and sharing their stories to put into context the human cost of an epidemic that kills an average of 100 people and wounds hundreds more each day.

Courageous women like La’shea Cretain, who survived being shot five times by her abusive ex-boyfriend, show up in statehouses to push for stronger gun laws. Mothers who have buried their children, like Rep. Lucy McBath, run for office — and win. Teens like Sari Kaufman, who have mourned their Marjory Stoneman Douglas classmates, step up to lead Students Demand Action. Adults and young people who live with the scars of gun violence every day push their lawmakers to make sure no one else has to.

As we mark National Gun Violence Survivors Week, we dedicate ourselves to sharing and amplifying the voices of those whose lives have been impacted by gun violence. But the start of February brings with it another grim milestone: by this time of year, on average, more Americans have died from gun violence than people in other high-income countries over the entire year. That statistic is staggering and unacceptable.

The magnitude of this crisis makes us a nation of survivors: 58 percent of American adults or someone they care for has personally experienced gun violence in their lifetime. Ater a shooting tragedy, the headlines tend to focus on the death toll. But that masks the millions of Americans who are left with life-altering injuries or who have been threatened with a gun or witnessed an act of gun violence — the people who survive and are left to rebuild their lives without a child, a parent, a spouse, a sibling or a friend. For too many Americans, survivorship begins at a young age: gun violence is the second leading cause of death for children and teens, and the leading cause of death for Black children and teens.

Much of America’s gun violence crisis doesn’t even make the news, like domestic violence or violence in communities of color. That silence makes those wounds even harder to heal. Katie Broyles’ mother, Jennifer, was taken by domestic violence that was allowed to turn deadly because of the presence of a gun. Diana Marie’s only child, Dedrick, was shot and killed in a senseless act of violence over ash on a stranger’s car. Ronique Jie’Ann G. Williams was killed in a drive-by shooting targeting someone else.

Our lax gun laws mean that too often, people who shouldn’t be able to access guns get their hands on them and harm themselves and others. Lives are cut short. Families are left to pick up the pieces. The sheer weight of the crisis — and our president and some of our lawmakers’ unwillingness to act — makes me angry every single day.

But as we remember those who have been taken by gun violence and those who have survived this week, I think of the words survivor Brenda Moss shared at our Gun Sense University last summer: “Am I mad? Yes. Will I cry? Absolutely. But will I stop? No. We don’t give up when it gets hard, we fight.”

Thank you to all of the survivors of gun violence who show up to fight with us every day. Sharing your stories — whether it’s online, at Moms Demand Action events or testifying in your statehouse — is hard, emotional work. We stand in awe of your resilience and determination. We are inspired by your strength and your grace. Thank you for making gun violence prevention the fight of your lives, and speaking truth to power in the way only someone who has been there can.

If you are a survivor of gun violence or have lost someone you love, share your story with us at Moments That Survive and use the hashtag #MomentsThatSurvive on social media. This week, Moms Demand Action and Students Demand Action chapters across the country will hold events honoring survivors.