Hi, Friend!

Being safe at home has never been more important. Unfortunately,
fear— fear for our health and for our families— has motivated the panic
buying of firearms, particularly by first-time gun owners.[ [link removed] ][ [link removed] ] But
fear-purchasing firearms isn’t a way to safety. In fact, research shows
the opposite: Bringing a gun into a home makes the home less safe, and
this is particularly true in the current moment when domestic violence is
increasing.[ [link removed] ][ [link removed] ][ [link removed] ]

→ [1]Sign on to our letter to governors, urging them to address panic gun
buying and reduce the risk of gun violence as part of their efforts to
secure everyone's health and safety in the face of pandemic (scroll down
to see the entire message that we’re sending to governors). *When you
click, you’ll automatically sign on if we already have your information.  

In “normal” times, on average 52 women a month are shot to death by an
intimate partner, with up to a million women in the United States having
survived being shot or shot at in intimate partner violence.[ [link removed] ] Just this
week, even the DOJ’s Office on Violence Against Women published a blog
that says, “A recent surge in gun sales has increased already rising
concerns among those of us working to protect people from domestic
violence and sexual assault due to the already tense situations that may
become more dangerous with a (new) firearm in the house.”[ [link removed] ]

In these decidedly not-normal times, social distancing is intensifying
feelings of isolation and patterns of abuse among people trapped in place.
Sharply rising call volumes to mental health and domestic violence
hotlines indicate that we are poised for an outbreak of suicide and
domestic violence injuries and deaths as a side-effect of the COVID-19
health emergency.[ [link removed] ] Already, before the pandemic, suicide accounted for
six in 10 firearms deaths, or about 24,000 gun deaths annually— and we
can’t let this tragic statistic get worse.[ [link removed] ] 

There are clear steps that governors can take to reduce the risk of gun
injury or death during this public health emergency, which are laid out in
the letter below.

[2]Please click this link to add your signature to our letter to governors
urging them to act quickly. *When you click, you’ll automatically sign on
if we already have your information.

==

HERE’S THE LETTER THAT YOU’RE SIGNING:

Dear Governor,

We are urging you to enact public safety measures that address the risks
posed by an influx of firearms into many of our homes amid physical
distancing and confinement, especially in light of the dramatic spikes in
firearm and ammunition sales.[ [link removed] ] 

Multiple studies have found that firearms in the home significantly
increase the risk of domestic violence, suicides, and unintentional
shootings.[ [link removed] ][ [link removed] ][ [link removed] ] Research shows that domestic violence is five times
more likely to escalate to murder when there is a gun in the home.
Researchers have found that an accessible gun in the home more than
triples the risk of suicide, with men six times more likely to die by
firearm suicide than women.[ [link removed] ][ [link removed] ] One study found that more than 80% of
all child firearm suicides involved a gun belonging to their family
member.[ [link removed] ]

Therefore, we are asking that you use your emergency powers to: 

* Publicly educate everyone about the risks posed by surging gun sales
and the panic-buying of firearms and ammunition, and about the
importance of safe storage, at your COVID-19 press conferences.

* Issue executive orders extending the time that law enforcement has to
conduct background checks.

* Temporarily close gun stores along with other closures, which must
also be deemed “non-essential” during this crisis. If stores are open,
ensure that they are following the strictest social-distancing
guidelines in all of their operations and that they provide every
purchaser with a gun safety fact sheet.

* Take action to prohibit the sale of “ghost gun” parts and kits in
order to lower the risk of exponential sales of unregulated and
unserialized gun parts. 

* Classify community-based counselors, social workers, and other
anti-violence workers as "essential" in light of social distancing's
heavy economic and social impact on Black and Brown urban
neighborhoods.

During a national crisis, governments have a responsibility to do
everything in their power to keep everyone healthy and safe. We hope you
will take urgent action to forestall a potential spike in gun deaths and
injuries, including firearm suicides, unintentional shootings, and
domestic violence, at this unprecedented and stressful moment. This type
of public safety response is not only proper, but necessary. 

Thank you,  

==

Thank you to YOU as well for all you’re doing to protect families and
communities. Here’s that link again to sign onto this
letter: [3][link removed]

*Please also share the link on Twitter, Facebook, and by email with
friends and family. The more signatures we have, the more power we’ll have
together to advance gun safety.

Together we are the leaders our nation needs right now.

—With gratitude, Gloria, Kristin, Joy, Anita, and the entire MomsRising /
MamásConPoder Team

 

[1] “[4]U.S. Gun Store Owners Say Asian Customers are Buying Weapons Over
Coronavirus Backlash Fears,” Newsweek, Mar. 12, 2020.

[2] “[5]Americans Purchasing Record-Breaking Numbers of Guns Amid
Coronavirus,” The Guardian, Apr. 1, 2020.

[3] “[6]Will a Gun Keep Your Family Safe? Here’s What the Evidence Says,”
The Trace, Apr. 7, 2020.

[4] “[7]The Mental Health Effects of Coronavirus Are a “Slow-Motion
Disaster,” Mother Jones, Apr. 2, 2020.

[5] “[8]Domestic Violence Hotline Reports Surge In Coronavirus-Related
Calls As Shelter-In-Place Leads To Isolation, Abuse,” Forbes, Apr. 6,
2020.

[6] “[9]Guns and Violence Against Women: America’s Uniquely Lethal
Intimate Partner Violence Problem,” Everytown, Oct. 17, 2019. 

[7] “[10]Increased Risk of Domestic Violence Requires Proper Gun Safety.”
U.S. Department of Justice, Apr. 14, 2020.

[8] "[11]Volume of Calls to Domestic Violence and Mental Health Hotlines
Rising." Google Search, Apr. 16, 2020.

[9] “[12]What the Data Says About Gun Deaths in the U.S.,” Pew Research
Center, Aug. 16, 2019. 

[10] “[13]For Some Buyers With Virus Fears, the Priority Isn’t Toilet
Paper. It’s Guns,” The New York Times, Mar. 25, 2020.

[11] “[14]The Accessibility of Firearms and Risk for Suicide and Homicide
Victimization Among Household Members: A Systematic Review and
Meta-Analysis.” Annals of Internal Medicine, Jan. 14, 2014.

[12] “[15]Risk factors for femicide in abusive relationships: Results from
a multisite case control study.” American Journal of Public Health, Jul.,
2003. 

[13] “[16]Firearm Availability and Unintentional Firearm Deaths.” 
Accident Analysis and Prevention, Jul. 2001.

[14] “[ [link removed] ]The Accessibility of Firearms and Risk for Suicide and Homicide
Victimization Among Household Members: A Systematic Review and
Meta-Analysis.” Annals of Internal Medicine, Jan. 14, 2014.

[15] “[ [link removed] ]National Center for Injury Prevention and Control, Web-based
Injury Statistics Query and Reporting System (WISQARS) Fatal Injury
Reports.” Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2014 to 2018.

[16] “[ [link removed] ]Who are the Owners of Firearms Used in Adolescent Suicides?”
Suicide and Life-Threatening Behavior, Dec. 1, 2001.

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