John,

Our state groups have been pushing back against the NRA for decades. Yesterday, the New York and District of Columbia Attorneys General filed complaints showing that the NRA of fraud, abuse, and corruption. The two civil suits are the result of a year-long investigation showing millions of dollars going to top executives. This morning state news reports have reported on the lawsuit and adding that this is a political maneuver to loose republican seats. I disagree. We cannot wait another moment to bring  lawsuits against the NRA, and to continue to undue their dangerous rhetoric.   They do not get a free pass to use their 501 C3 to militarize our country.  We have to keep fighting past the hate, the rhetoric, and give our affiliates more resources. States United must work to lead with the voices from each small group working at the State Level. While national gun violence groups do good work, and at times may work with State Groups, they are NOT a state-based gun violence prevention group. 

Please Donate to our work, so that we can increase our ability to help States keep uplifting what they know how to do best. They are involved in what John Lewis calls, "good trouble". The following news out of NH and other states will show you how far we have come.

With care and dedication to saving all lives,

Clai

She/Her

Executive Director

States United to Prevent Gun Violence

The Toll of Gun Violence on Communities of Color

The news out of cities like New York, Chicago, Minneapolis, and St. Louis all reflect the same crisis of gun violence in communities of color. Babies and toddlers have been shot on sidewalks and in moving cars. Fathers, high school graduates, mourners at funerals, young children visiting their grandparents... the stories of the lives lost are numerous and each one is heartbreaking.

It’s not just this summer, and it's not just COVID. The results of inaction, systemic racism, and an unwillingness to change are borne out by the data that we have compiled on gun homicide among Black men and teens between 2009-2018. 

The numbers are irrefutable and are a cause for national shame. We have turned our backs on community-led programs that work in favor of more and more policing. We have poured our resources into largely white communities after mass shootings while ignoring the daily toll--both physical and psychological--of gun violence in Black and Brown communities. We have called the problem intractable; and have insisted that we wouldn’t know where to begin, when leaders in the affected communities began long ago and have been leading the way all along.

Help us live the ideals of Black Lives Matter by making sure the lives of those lost to gun violence also matter. Take a look at the data. Read the stories. Say their names. And then share this information and commit to centering Black and brown leaders who have been doing this work for longer than anyone should have to.

Gun Sense New Hampshire

On Monday The New Hampshire Senate signed off on an a ERPO bill, Extreme Order of Protection which allows a court to remove guns from the hands of people who are a danger to themselves and others.  This type of bill has passed in 19 states and is particularly successful in preventing gun suicides.  Gun Sense New Hampshire, part of Granite State Progress has been working to see such a bill passed in New Hampshire.

From a press release from Granite States Progress and Gun Sense New Hampshire: 

“The Senate and House have done their job and now it is time for Governor Sununu to sign an Extreme Risk Protection Order into law,” said State Representative Debra Altschiller, prime sponsor of HB 687. “The majority of New Hampshire residents want this tool in place for their family members who are exhibiting behaviors that raise concerns that they are a danger to themselves or others around them. Suicide is the second leading cause of death in New Hampshire for people between the ages of 10 to 34 and half of those suicides are with a firearm. We know this is a serious concern in our state, and one of several reasons this bill needs to become law.”

“ERPO laws save lives and that is why this popular bipartisan public safety law has been enacted in so many states across our country,” said Zandra Rice Hawkins, director of GunSense NH, a project of Granite State Progress. “Already 19 states—California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Hawaii, Illinois, Indiana, Maryland, Massachusetts, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, Virginia, and Washington— plus the District of Columbia have enacted laws authorizing courts to issue extreme risk protection orders. It’s time for New Hampshire to provide our families and law enforcement with a similar tool to help reduce suicide and prevent possible shooting tragedies.”