Start the Conversation

The subject of guns is polarizing, emotional, and often one we avoid entirely.  It’s a conversation we want to happen at someone else’s dinner table, far away from our own social, professional and even political circles. But gun violence is not happening far away. With gun deaths in America in 2017 at the highest level in 40 years* the problem is right at our front door. Gun violence is happening to our neighbors, our friends, our families.  It’s an American problem, one that we cannot rely on Washington to solve. It’s our responsibility to get clear on the facts and start having the hard conversations about the tragic role guns play in our communities and what needs to change to fix the problem. Ultimately it is through understanding, communication and productive (maybe even heated) debate with each other, that we will find the common ground we need to implement common sense gun control policies that assure our communities--our children--are safe from the threat of gun violence. 

Remember, there's probably a lot more common ground on measures to prevent gun violence than you think. Getting personal can be powerful. So don't be afraid to start the conversation.

Written by Mary and Anna Obropta

*https://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2019/08/16/what-the-data-says-about-gun-deaths-in-the-u-s/