Here’s What You Can Do RIGHT NOW to End Gun Violence

7/26/2019
 

This blog was updated on August 9, 2019.

Following a tragic weekend of gun violence in America, people across the country are asking themselves “what can I do to stop this?” We at Brady know the solutions — we need our senators and representatives to have the courage and conviction to act. For months now, gun safety legislation has been gathering dust on Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell's desk. This is an urgent moment, and our lives are on the line. Now is the time for every person across America to join the movement to end our country’s gun violence epidemic.

Only have 5 minutes? Here a few quick ways to act now.

  1. Call Sen. Mitch McConnell’s office NOW!
    Text “emergency” to 877-877, and we’ll connect you straight to Sen. McConnell’s office so you can demand that he take action.

  2. Already called? Text 5 friends and ask them to call.
    Your calls are working — after days of pressure, Sen. McConnell just said he's planning to act on gun safety legislation. We need to hold him to it!

  3. Flood Sen. McConnell’s inbox.
    Send him an email demanding that he call the Senate back from August recess and hold a vote on gun reform!

  4. Sign up to join a local Brady chapter.
    Our more than 90 grassroots chapters work across Congress, the courts, and communities to find common ground in common-sense solutions to gun violence. Sign up now.

  5. Donate to Brady.
    Your support funds the fight to end gun violence. Donate now.

Have more time to invest? Great, we need your help during August recess!

Brady Orange County's rally for gun reform on August 4. Photo Credit: Orange County Register

Right now, the Senate is on August recess, which is a six-week break when they’re in their home states. Now's your chance to make sure they take action and are held accountable! We're hosting a Weekend of Action on August 17-18 in collaboration with other gun violence prevention group. Together, we will keep the pressure on Sen. McConnell and President Donald Trump to call legislators back to DC to vote on common-sense gun safety legislation.

We need voters everywhere to flood their senator’s local town hall events and district offices to demand action and hold them accountable for their votes on gun safety. Get involved today by organizing in your community during August recess. Follow these steps to get started!

  1. Learn who your reps are and use gunsafetytownhalls.org to find events in your area!
    There are key members of Congress whose votes around gun reform are especially crucial. That includes elected representatives who have been gun safety champions in difficult districts as well as those who have recklessly opposed common-sense measures to prevent gun violence. We’ve created a website — gunsafetytownhalls.org —that lists these targets, along with local events they’re holding during August recess. Don’t see your representatives on this list? Go here.

  2. Research your member’s legislative record on gun safety.
    This will help you prepare the questions you want to ask your representative when you meet with them. Use the Town Hall Cheat Sheet by our friends at Giffords and March For Our Lives to learn your representative’s voting record.

    Brady Orange County's rally for gun reform on August 4.


  3. Learn about gun safety legislation.
    You’ll want to read up on the issues and prepare questions to ask your member of Congress. To get a good grasp on the issues, read this August recess toolkit, created by a coalition of gun safety groups. The toolkit explains important pending gun safety legislation, like bills to expand background checks, pass extreme risk laws, and fund research into gun violence prevention. The toolkit also reviews some of the key questions you’ll want to ask your member of Congress. You can also read about Brady's solutions.

  4. Organize a group to attend a recess event with you.
    Build your power! Bring a diverse group of friends and advocates to ask all sorts of questions and share how gun violence affects people across age, race, ability, and more. Be sure to reach out to local medical professionals, survivors, students, educators, mental health professionals, law enforcement officers, and other experts in the field to join you.

  5. Take photos and post to social media!
    Social media is an effective way to publicly thank your representative or hold them accountable. When you attend a recess event, be sure to bring your phone or camera to record any speeches or responses around gun violence prevention. Post your content online, use hashtags like #SenateVOTEnow and #DoSomething, and make sure to tag Brady on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram. We’ll make an effort to like, retweet, and comment on your material!

Quick Tips

  • If there are no events in your area, you can always rally outside your elected official's district offices or in a busy visible place in your city or town.
  • Make sure your group is well-informed on the gun violence issues that are specific and unique to your district.
  • If the event you’re attending is a paid event rather than a public forum or town hall, one option is to creatively protest outside the event.
  • If it’s a town hall event, try to be one of the first people to line up in front of the microphone — the rooms fill up fast!
  • If your representative is a gun violence prevention champion, start by thanking them for their hard work on the issue!
  • If your representative has consistently blocked lifesaving legislation, be sure to remind them of the power of your vote come November.

Election season will be here before we know it, and we’re making sure EVERY candidate makes gun violence prevention a top priority. You now have the tools to hold your representatives accountable and vote come this November!

    Resources

    The following resources are linked above, but here they are again for your ease and convenience!

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