After this last gun-violence massacre (which one? The one in Colorado? The one in San Bernadino? The one that might be happening as you read this, if the current trend continues?), more than a few people called for change. The situation, as it stands, is untenable. We have lost more Americans to guns since 1968 than on the battlefield in all US wars. Does that sound like B.S.? It should. But it’s not.
On December 3rd, Uproxx suggested an idea which, in America — a nation formed through revolt — is increasingly looking like a revolutionary notion: actually trying to do something. Doing nothing (or actively fighting change) is, unsurprisingly, ineffective at stemming the flow of gun-related deaths.
So if you’re done thinking, praying, tweeting, and hashtagging, and if gun control is a cause you want to get behind, let’s look at where you can start and who you can support. Let’s try something.
Everytown for Gun Safety Support Fund
For a comprehensive look at the causes of gun violence and the issues that it encompasses — terrorist attacks being only one of many — explore Everytown, a non-partisan 501(c)(3) organization founded last year, combining Mayors Against Illegal Guns and Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America.
According to the site, Everytown “seeks to improve our understanding of the causes of gun violence and the means to reduce it — by conducting groundbreaking original research, developing evidence-based policies, and communicating this knowledge to the American public.”
Donations aid Everytown in continuing its commitment to research, public awareness, and the developing of solutions to the epidemic of gun violence.
Johns Hopkins University Center for Gun Policy and Research
Formally established in 1995, the Center for Gun Policy and Research has obtained a national reputation for groundbreaking, meaningful, and policy-relevant research in the area of gun violence. University based, they are required to conduct research in the absence of funding from external political groups or authorities that might otherwise attempt to influence or bias the direction or outcome of the Center’s investigations. The school does, however, accept donations, which can be directed toward a number of important projects.
Law Center to Prevent Gun Violence
A nonprofit founded by attorneys, the Law Center to Prevent Gun Violence is dedicated to providing “critical support for the enactment of effective and defensible legislation at the state and local levels,” in the belief that…
We all deserve to live in communities free from the fear and threat of gun violence. We can protect everyone’s Second Amendment rights AND enact smart laws that will reduce death and injury from firearms. We know it’s possible, and we know how to do it.
If this sounds like the kind of organization you can get behind, they offer a plethora of ways to take action.
Americans for Responsible Solutions
Founded by former Democratic member of the U.S. House of Representatives, Gabrielle Gifford — who has an intimate understanding of the devastating effect of gun violence on human life — this non-profit seeks to encourage elected officials to stand for solutions that protect the public from senseless gun violence, without denying the right to responsible gun ownership. They offer a number of ways to get involved, including making it easy for you to call congress.
Are these organizations onto the solutions? We don’t know yet. And we won’t know until we try.
