‘Louder than Guns’ seeks to shape gun control
by Penelope Carrillo
Louder than Guns, an organization created by Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti in May, pushed for a change towards gun laws in order to create a safer environment for Angelenos.
Everyday around the U.S., at least 100 people are shot and killed by gun violence according to Brady United. Countless headlines read the death of a mass amount of people whose lives were taken away by mass shootings.
Seen around the city of LA, there are advertisements promoting a dystopian society in which mass shooting insurance exists, which sheds light on how severe the issue is and where it may lead to if change doesn’t happen.
Suzanne Verge, President of the Los Angeles Chapter of the Brady United to Prevent Gun Violence, demanded that gun control take shape as soon as possible.
“It [the advertisement] will show how we are at a tipping point with gun violence and it’s time we have to rethink this issue,” Verge said. The severity of gun violence has brought the need to instill into the public’s mind what can happen if action is not taken towards this issue.”
California has taken initiative to address gun violence and encouraged safety through a variety of different bills. Currently, Senate Bill 55 is under review. This bill was formed by research about gun violence taken by the CDC.
This will ban those who have been convicted of three or my DUIs within a 10-year period from possessing a gun for 10 years to prevent violence from occurring.
“By funding the CDC to reduce gun death, we need to learn what is causing this gun death. That is key, we need to learn what is causing the gun violence,” Verge said.
Though many agree with the strong need for gun reform, there are others who feel the need to protect their 2nd Amendment right. A poll taken by NPR in October 2017 and February 2018 highlights the details of whether or not the public wants strict gun laws or not.
On average, 73% of Americans agreed that gun laws should be stricter. To understand the public’s view on gun control is to understand what individuals feel living is. Living in fear around communities that one has lived in all their life creates a toxic environment.
“The 2nd amendment is the freedom to have a gun, but we should have the freedom to live, the freedom to go to the movies to be able to go to a concert and not be ridden with fear,” Verge said.
