Too Close To Home
Dear Leading Ladies,
At least a handful of mobile phones lit up last Wednesday night with news of an in-progress mass shooting in Maine while our audience at The Cabot listened to a panel of experts speak about the US gun violence crisis. As if on cue, and as if we all needed a reminder of how frequent and devastating mass shootings are, a lone shooter was killing at least 18 people with a semi-automatic rifle (AR-15 style) in a bar and a bowling alley less than three hours north of us.
Clearly, our topic was frighteningly relevant.
Before our panel took the stage, we watched an interview with David Hogg, a survivor of the Parkland, Florida, school massacre and founder of March for Our Lives. Then, Stop Handgun Violence founder John Rosenthal; State Rep. Margery Decker; Emily Rubio of March for Our Lives; and Rebecca O’Brien of Moms Demand Action spoke about what needs to be done to change the current situation.
Watch the recording of the video from the event here.
Here are some takeaways from the evening.
Gun violence facts
More children in our country die from guns than from any other cause, including automobile accidents and cancer.
Although Massachusetts leads the country in gun control laws, there are still an average 244 people who die and 688 who are wounded by guns in Massachusetts each year. Most are from suicide.
While it is illegal to buy, sell, or possess assault weapons in Massachusetts, it is not yet illegal to manufacture them.
Legislative developments
A new bill, H4135, which just passed the state house of representatives, now needs to pass the state senate to become law.
If it becomes law, it will close many of the loopholes in current legislation. Among other things, it will make it illegal to bring an otherwise legally possessed firearm into a private home without the expressed permission of the owner; crack down on unregistered ghost guns; and extend the red flag law. Learn more about the bill here and click on Bill Text.
What we can do
Let our state senators know we support the pending bill. Write to them. Attend rallies at the State House. Check what Moms Demand Action is doing.
Massachusetts may lead the country in gun control laws, but it is still easy to go across state lines to New Hampshire and Maine to buy guns without background checks or red flag laws. Work for candidates in those states who support gun control action.
Support young candidates in Massachusetts and throughout the country. March for Our Lives and the new Leaders We Deserve PAC, started by David Hogg, is working to put young people in office who have grown up with shelter in place, school shootings, and losing classmates as part of their childhood reality. They have a stake in the future of gun control. Support them.
Simple safety measures are important too. If our children or grandchildren are invited to a playdate, ask if there are guns in the home. If the answer is yes, ask how the firearms are stored.
And if someone we know is suffering from serious depression and expresses suicidal thoughts, do what we can to make sure they have no access to guns, including notifying the police and invoking the Red Flag law. Research confirms that taking away guns and providing mental health intervention can permanently prevent suicide.
As all the speakers emphasized, Massachusetts leads the country in gun control legislation and practices, but one child’s death by gun violence is too many. There is still work to be done in our own state and across the country where our leadership can serve as an example. We look forward to a day when our small children don’t need to shelter in place in their classrooms and learn how to shield themselves from an active shooter.
Stay safe,
Therese
Judy
Didi
Leading Ladies Executive Team