152: The More We Share, the More We Know: Domestic Violence and Firearms

In our second special birthday episode, host JJ is joined by Joan Peterson, a longtime Brady chapter member and leader, who became a gun violence prevention and domestic violence activist after her sister, Barbara Lund, was murdered. Barbara and her boyfriend, former Iowa state legislator Kevin Kelly, were killed by Lund's estranged husband. Together, they detail why domestic violence cannot be left invisible.

Then, hosts Kelly and JJ are joined by Kate Ranta (author of Killing Kate: A Story of Turning Abuse and Tragedy into Transformation and Triumph and gun violence prevention advocate) and American journalist, writer, and professor Rachel Louise Snyder. Snyder's eye-opening book, No Visible Bruises: What We Don't Know About Domestic Violence Can Kill Us, is an absolutely essential read for those who want to address private violence, and addresses how in the US, 1 in 5 women report experiencing severe physical violence from an intimate partner during their lifetime. Terrifyingly, when guns are introduced into that terrorism, the risk of serious death and injury only increases, with the American Journal of Public Health reporting that in domestic violence situations the risk of death is five times greater when a gun is present.

If you or someone you know may be at risk, please call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-SAFE (7233), or by text at the same number by texting the word "START." There are also advocates available online 24/7 at thehotline.org.

Mentioned in this podcast:

Warning Signs of Abuse (National Domestic Violence Hotline)
Domestic Violence High Risk Team Model (Jeanne Geiger Crisis Center)
What Are Extreme Risk Laws (Brady)
Pass the Violence Against Women Reauthorization Act of 2021 (Brady)