A big part of our conversation was about safe firearm storage — which too often is not a part of the conversation around gun violence.
Yet every day in America, 8 kids are killed due to "family fire," or a shooting involving an improperly stored or misused gun. @EndFamilyFire
.@JohnWoodrowCox told us he sent his book to members of Congress — hoping they'd understand the apolitical importance of safe storage laws.
"It's baffling to me that there's very few people saying, 'Hey, why don't we just lock up the guns that we have?'" #EndFamilyFire
More than half of school shootings since Columbine
"would not have happened if children didn't have access to gun," said @JohnWoodrowCox.
In fact, a 2019 @SecretService report found that 76% of guns used in school shootings came from the home. #EndFamilyFire
I hope you'll listen to the full podcast episode. It includes excellent insight from @TedBonar, who is a therapist + suicide prevention expert + director of @EndFamilyFire — a public education program promoting safe firearm storage. #EndFamilyFire bradyunited.org/podcast/episod…
4.3 million children in America live in homes w/ access to unsecured firearms. 89% of unintentional gun deaths of kids occur at home.
Think of all the lives we can save if we safely store guns!
Today's the anniversary of the Senate’s deadly failure to pass gun violence prevention reform via the filibuster.
What happened on 4/17/13 shows exactly why we must #AbolishTheFilibuster — & why we must stop at nothing to push the Senate to pass background checks today.
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The legislation that was killed on the Senate floor 8 years ago today was in response to the Sandy Hook shooting, where 20 first-graders & 6 school employees were senselessly murdered.
Americans across the country, DEMANDED Congress strengthen our weak gun laws. @NewtownAction
In response, the Senate took up a series of gun reform bills. The reforms included a bipartisan bill to expand Brady Background Checks, aka “Manchin-Toomey”.
Why background checks? A shocking 1 in 5 guns in America is sold without a background check.
For too long, we've lived under the gun lobby's reckless, dystopian, and outright deadly (!) vision of the Second Amendment. They willfully misinterpret the Constitution to bestow civilians with unfettered access to firearms.
That was *never* the Founder's intention.
As the 9th Circuit Court affirmed just last month, the Second Amendment does NOT mean unfettered access to guns beyond reason. We can — and should — enact life-saving, sensible gun regulations.
(PS You can see my thread on that recent court ruling here.)
.@WhiteHouse's 6 executive actions to reduce gun violence will:
1️⃣ address the flow of unregulated ghost guns
2️⃣ address dangerous uses of stabilizing braces
3️⃣ strengthen extreme risk laws, which prevent gun suicide
4️⃣ prioritize investment in community interventions
(cont'd)
5️⃣ issue an annual report on gun trafficking to provide data to inform lifesaving policy solutions
6️⃣ nominate former ATF agent @davidchipman as @ATFHQ director to oversee and enhance gun industry oversight
40 years ago on March 30, 1981, a bullet changed the course of U.S. history.
White House Press Sec Jim Brady was shot in the head when a gunman tried to kill President Reagan. Jim was paralyzed. But he used the tragedy to take on the NRA & change our nation's gun laws.
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President Reagan was struck by a single bullet. He'd feel the effects for years. Two officers were also wounded.
Jim was shot in the head. He'd been on the job as Reagan's @WhiteHouse press secretary — his dream job — for just two months. cc @POTUS
The news that day falsely reported that Jim Brady was dead. It's not hard to undertand why — the scene itself was gruesome, and Jim's injury was near fatal.
3/30/21 marks 40 years since Jim Brady was shot in the Reagan assassination attempt. He was paralyzed for life but didn't let that stop him. @POTUS can honor Jim Brady & save countless lives by taking immediate action to reduce gun violence. #TheTimeIsNow