Legislation versus gun lobby: the need for drills

California has some of the most robust gun legislation in the country, and the effects have been substantial over the past years.

“As a result, over the last 50 years, the rate of gun homicides has gone down almost 50%, so we know that gun safety laws can work. But the problem is that we are just one state among many, and people can go to other states and bring in illegal guns here, which is very hard to control. So what we really need, in the end, is very strong federal legislation, and that has been a long time coming because of the gun industry,” said Ruth Borenstein, the legislation chair at Brady California.

In fact, the gun lobby has been the reason for much of the legislative work of Brady and Everytown.

“The gun lobby continues to market a very dangerous agenda, with guns for all, and everywhere. They market to people’s fear, convincing them that more guns will make us safer when we know the opposite is true. They even market to youth, when firearms are the leading cause of child and teen death in America,” Kazerounian said.

Advertisements aimed at youth, such as the controversial JR-15 gun, are dangerous examples of the extent of the gun lobby. Asian Americans are reportedly purchasing more firearms following anti-Asian hate since the start of the pandemic, another product of the gun lobby’s marketing to fear. 

Organizations like Brady and Moms Demand Action have student-oriented youth branches, such as Students Demand Action and TeamENOUGH, and continue to work daily to advocate for new gun legislation and reform to reduce gun violence and school shootings nationwide.

“We will continue to advocate and pass common sense gun laws across the United States until we have a Congress that does its job,” Kazerounian said. “Today’s Congress is telling our communities and our youth that they must stand up to the gunman because it refuses to stand up to the gun lobby.”