Yesterday marked 28 years since I nearly lost my life, John. I was just 17 years old when a bullet ripped through my throat and ruptured my windpipe after a high school football game. I wouldn’t be here today if it wasn’t for the trauma team at Inova Fairfax Hospital in Virginia.
Most 17 year olds have no idea what to do with their lives or what career path to take. But this tragedy changed the trajectory of my life. I went to medical school, became a trauma surgeon at Johns Hopkins Hospital, and now I wake up each day to treat victims of gun violence. Years into the profession, I made national headlines after the NRA told me and the medical community to “stay in our lane.” They called me out for asking patients if they had unsecured firearms in the home. But what they really meant was that they didn’t want the medical community to get involved in addressing this public health crisis. But the NRA is flat-out wrong. Doctors, nurses, medics, and other health professionals deal with the consequences of gun violence on a daily basis. We see the first-hand impact of gun violence and we’re uniquely situated to address this senseless violence head-on.
Part of the solution to diagnose and treat gun violence is securing more robust data through research. Congress must continue to appropriate federal dollars for gun violence research so we can understand its full scope, and the solutions to prevent it. But we must also change the culture and norms surrounding firearms. By safely storing firearms, which means locked, unloaded, and separated from ammunition, we can help prevent unintentional gun death and injury caused by unsecured firearms.
As with any public health crisis, gun violence is a problem that no one person or group can face alone. I’ve made lasting change with Brady over the years. But we can’t do this work alone — and that’s why I’m reaching out today. Will you consider supporting Brady with a gift right now? Your support will help us pass life-saving safe storage laws in Congress, secure funding for gun violence research, and treat gun violence as the public health issue that it is.
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| Dr. Joseph Sakran Trauma Surgeon
Gun Violence Survivor Brady Board Member |
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Houses Passes the Break the Cycle of Violence Act |
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🎧 Episode 203: Fighting Fear — and Assault Weapons — With Handgun Control Inc. |
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Before Richard Aborn was the president of the Citizens Crime Commission of New York City, he was at the helm of the organization that would one day become known as Brady: Handgun Control Inc. During his presidency from 1992 to 1996, he saw vital movement on gun violence prevention, including the passage of the Brady Bill and the ban on assault weapons and high-capacity magazines. Richard joins us this week to share the critical lessons learned in passing that legislation, what it was like to see the assault weapons ban sunset in 1994, and why reinstating the ban is imperative.
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This week, we were proud partners of March Fourth’s #PassTheBan rally in Washington, D.C. March Fourth was formed by victims and survivors of the Highland Park massacre. They are demanding the U.S. Senate ban assault weapons, like the one used to kill seven people and wound 48 others in their community. Together, we marched, rallied, and fought like hell to push the Senate to pass the Assault Weapons Ban of 2021, which would reinstate the 1994 ban on assault weapons and high-capacity magazines.
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"We should not have to worry every time our children walk out the door — scared they won’t return. And with assault weapons so readily available in this country, that is a very real fear. It cannot be said any more plainly than this: Weapons of war do not belong in places of peace!" — Brady President Kris Brown |
Before the rally, Brady President Kris Brown joined March Fourth to discuss banning assault weapons with the White House’s Susan Rice. |
(L-R) Meggan Johnson, Oxford shooting survivor Madeline Johnson, Brady President Kris Brown, Highland Park survivor and pediatrician Emily Lieberman, President of March Fourth Maureen Westphal, Founder of March Fourth Kitty Brandtner, mother of Buffalo victim Zeneta Everhart, Moms Demand Action advocate Lauren Harper, parents of Uvalde victim Kimberly and Felix Rubio, and Natalie Earnest. |
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Brady Senior Counsel and Director of Racial Justice Kelly Sampson joins lawmakers and advocates to discuss the passage of the Break the Cycle of Violence Act. |
“Many Americans were shocked to learn that gun violence has become the leading cause of death for all children and teens nationwide, but it’s long been the leading cause of death for Black children and teens, who are 14 times more likely than white children and teens to die by gun homicide. Moreover, Hispanic and Native American children and teens are three times more likely to die from gun violence than white children.
These disparities are not inevitable. The Break The Cycle of Violence Act will directly address these issues by providing historical investments in communities most impacted by cycles of violence and trauma. By taking a public health approach and investing in evidence-based programs, we can not only alleviate the daily toll of gun violence, but also begin to undo years of disinvestment and injustice in the most impacted communities.” — Kelly Sampson, Brady Senior Counsel and Director of Racial Justice |
Thank you for supporting Brady and our work to prevent gun violence and save lives. We rely heavily on the generosity of activists like you to fund our work to create a safer America. If you're in this fight, please join Brady today by making a gift. |
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