John --

There are numerous effective actions that our leaders in North Carolina can take to prevent gun violence, even as conversations in the US Congress and White House focus on the national scene. While the NC General Assembly has failed to advance any proactive gun violence prevention legislation this year, we are grateful that Governor Cooper has issued an Executive Directive focused on more reliable background checks and safe gun storage.

North Carolinians Against Gun Violence is committed to continuing efforts that have proven successful as well as adding new initiatives to create a safer state for all.

With your contribution, we will be able to continue:

• Contracting with a lobbying firm to represent NCGV at the General Assembly, advocating daily for gun violence prevention. This year, we alerted key representatives about a bad amendment that would have allowed educators to carry concealed, loaded weapons in school. Their efforts helped ensure the amendment didn’t come up for a vote.
  
  
• Employing a statewide community organizer to educate more citizens about the myths and realities of gun violence. One common myth is that gun violence is only a mental health issue. Even as we support more resources for our mental health system, we cannot blame mental illness as the reason for the public health crisis of gun violence. Only 4% of interpersonal violence is committed by people with a serious mental illness. Our organizer helps people separate actionable facts from distortions like these.
  
  
• Providing citizens with the opportunity to volunteer in a number of different ways, from writing a letter to the editor to making phone calls to other NCGV supporters to meeting with their elected officials.

NCGV is also working to implement community-based violence interrupter programs to reduce gun violence in marginalized, low-income communities of color in North Carolina. These programs have been proven to reduce homicides significantly and are rooted in active leadership in the community from faith leaders, peer mentors, city officials and other local leaders.

Our ongoing efforts and new projects are possible only through the financial support of people like you. We live in a time when ongoing acts of individual commitment are crucial if we are to make progress, so we hope you will give as generously as you can. Every donation we receive goes toward making North Carolina safer from gun violence. Thank you for helping us reach that goal.

Sincerely,
Becky Ceartas

North Carolinians Against Gun Violence
http://www.ncgv.org/