Gun Violence
Beyond Carbon will also apply lessons we have learned tackling another issue that Washington has ignored: gun violence.
The vast majority of Americans – including the majority of gun owners – favor common-sense rules that prevent guns from falling into dangerous hands. But Congress has not passed one major gun safety bill in a quarter century. Each year, around 36,000 Americans are killed or commit suicide with guns and another 100,000 are injured. Without more progress in states and cities, the next two years will bring more violence, more heartbreak, and more promising lives cut short.
Americans are proving that a different future is possible. Everytown for Gun Safety and Moms Demand Action have organized millions of volunteers to successfully push state legislatures to pass bills, governors to take executive action, and CEOs to set higher corporate responsibility standards. More than 20 states have passed laws strengthening background checks for gun sales. In last year’s midterm elections, we supported candidates who promised to pass common-sense gun safety measures – and voters elected more of them to office than ever before. At the same time, we are helping cities advance and defend local laws that prevent gun violence.
With Americans stepping up to lead, more cities and states will pass common-sense gun measures that protect people, and we will be better off in two years than we are today – with safer communities, fewer senseless tragedies, and fewer guns in dangerous hands.