Everytown for Gun Safety
The future of gun control
By Becca Sturm
The Progressive Teen Staff Writer
PERHAPS THE MOST FOREBODING PART OF TRUMP’S PRESIDENCY IS HIS STANCE ON GUN POLICY. It is a well-known fact that the NRA invested nearly 30 million dollars into Trump’s campaign, and, after his inauguration, are going to demand results. In response to the existing rampant gun access and negligent gun policy, organizations like Everytown for Gun Safety have cropped up to openly resist gun violence. The pressure exerted by gun lobbyists on public policy has resulted in the fact that Americans are twenty-five times more likely to be murdered with a gun than people in other developed nations. This alarming fact should bring renewed attention to organizations like Everytown that want to provide safe avenues for guns by keeping them out of the hands of criminals. This organization uses extensive research to promote common-sense gun control. Their goal is to prevent the 33,000 gun deaths per year while still respecting the Second Amendment.
THE UNIQUE THING ABOUT THIS ORGANIZATION is its presence on many tiers of society, from grassroots to local government leaders. The organization stresses the importance of individual action in this fight against destructive gun policies that have led to death and violence for decades. That is why each of the three million supporters is so important to the functioning of this organization. In 2013, the organization itself was founded when Mayors Against Illegal Guns and Moms Demand Action, two organizations that demand that corporations and the government accept responsibility, joined operations. Together, they have been able to convince widely known corporations like Starbucks and Facebook to adopt measures in their respective platforms that promote a safer future for the generations to come. These two initial organizations are at the heart of Everytown, initiating change at the community and local level.
Because their organization is multi-tiered, the organization appeals to more than just lobbyists — it appeals to community members across the nation that are outraged at the gun violence in our country. Moms Demand Action has a chapter in every one of the fifty states and emphasizes common-sense policy that directly addresses the gun violence conflict. This idea of a “common-sense policy” is particularly salient right now, because our nation has been witness to debacle after debacle on the internet and social media, much of which lacked any semblance of common sense. Some of the proposed approaches to this “common-sense policy” include background checks for unlicensed gun dealers trying to evade federal law, a reduction in “Stand Your Ground” laws that encourage deadly force outside the home, and the introduction of state laws ensuring that convicted domestic abusers are not allowed to possess firearms. This grassroots campaign is exactly the measure Americans needs to see to comprehend the extent of gun violence and that is does, in fact, directly impact their communities.
Everytown for Gun Safety provides the startling statistic that every day, 91 Americans are killed with guns on average across the nation. This organization re-evaluates the notion that gun violence is limited to some cities or states, and is not common enough in an everyday citizen’s life to warrant action. But that action does not have to be sweeping legislation that disrupts the social norms; it can be moderate yet still incredibly impactful. That is one of the principal messages the organization is trying to relay: action does not come in just one form; even wearing a t-shirt or supporting an event can be an invaluable part of the overall struggle against gun violence and poor gun public policy. This organization is a pinnacle in the gun safety and gun violence reduction fight. On Election Day 2016, voters in Nevada, Washington, and California voted YES on gun sense safety initiatives that will have lasting effects on the way our society treats guns for years to come.
Now is the time to stand united against any attempt by the Trump Administration to undermine the hard-earned gun safety legislation that protects everyday American lives. The press articles written about Everytown and general attitude of the organization itself are inspiring. They are determined to resolve the extremist gun laws that have become all too commonplace, even despite the seemingly insurmountable challenge that is about to occupy the White House, because gun safety is an issue that impacts each and every one of us. That is why Everytown for Gun Safety is standing their ground and working with communities across America to bring about the end of gun violence in America.
