Content notice: This message contains discussion of domestic violence. If you or someone you know is being mistreated or hurt by a partner, reach out to the National Domestic Violence Hotline available 24/7 by calling 1-800-799-7233 or if you're unable to speak safely, you can chat online at thehotline.org.
John–
Gun laws that protect victims of domestic abuse are common-sense. They also have a long history of bipartisan support and are among the most important public safety laws in the country.
But industry actors and activist judges want to gut those laws. And it's not just about guns—it's part of the same full-out assault on women's rights we've seen from extremist judges across the country.
Last February, the judges of the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals made an extreme ruling in the case United States v. Rahimi. They said the federal law prohibiting people subject to domestic violence restraining orders from having guns was unconstitutional under the Second Amendment.
Allowing more domestic abusers to own guns would be a death sentence for women and families in domestic violence situations. But this ruling is not final: The Supreme Court has agreed to take up the case. The nation's highest court can still overturn this dangerous decision.
We cannot let our progress be reversed. Share this information about domestic violence and gun violence on social media to help spread the word: We must demand action.
The role of guns in domestic violence cannot be overstated. It's a devastating and lethal crisis facing women and families across the country. An average of 70 women in America are shot and killed by an intimate partner in an average month. Just the presence of a gun in a domestic violence situation makes it five times as likely that a woman will be killed.
And recent court rulings have made this crisis even more dire: The National Domestic Violence Hotline reported a 99% increase in calls from people saying their partners are trying to control their reproductive choices since Roe was overturned.1
The good news is that we know gun laws work. Research shows us that when states prohibit people under domestic violence restraining orders from having guns and encourage or require them to surrender their firearms, intimate partner homicide rates drop significantly.
These laws are nothing short of life-saving. The Supreme Court must rule in favor of public safety and common-sense.
We will not let the "guns everywhere" agenda win.
Thank you for helping build this movement.
Everytown for Gun Safety
1. Cheung, Kylie. "Domestic Violence Hotline Reports 99% Increase in Calls Post-Roe". Jezebel. July 14, 2023.
