June 2022 WGR Open Forum Blog

Women in Government Relations is a nonpartisan organization. The views described in this blog reflect the discussion among Open Forum attendees and do not represent organizational stances.

The disturbing mass shootings in Buffalo, New York and Uvalde, Texas drew a renewed focus on the issue of gun violence in the United States. This topic is salient in the national dialogue and weighs heavily on our hearts and minds. On June 14, 2022, the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee hosted an Open Forum designed to connect members through compassionate dialogue on the policies, programs, and budgetary decisions that are needed to prevent gun violence.

The Open Forum welcomed opening remarks by WGR member and Managing Director at Giffords, Robin Lloyd. Robin was instrumental in helping pass the Bipartisan Background Checks Act of 2019. Her tireless leadership has also produced stronger, more effective gun violence prevention laws in numerous states, protecting the lives of thousands of Americans. Robin framed the gun violence issue in the United States and offered perspectives on what we can do as passionate people and policy insiders. 

According to Robin, we are witnessing a breakthrough moment: on June 12, 20 senators announced the first meaningful step in gun violence prevention policy in 30 years. On January 25, 2022, President Biden signed into law the “Bipartisan Safer Communities Act” [S.2938].

Members shared a range of insights and experiences, including personal encounters with active shooters, discussions with school-aged youth, and safe practices for responsible  gun ownership. Members described their frustration with mass shootings as acts of domestic terrorism against vulnerable racial/ethnic minorities and children, often carried out by white, male individuals with the most privileged identities in our society. Through these different viewpoints, members grappled with uniting questions: Why is the risk of gun violence so high in this country? What can we do to make our communities safer, without further hardening our schools, retail stores, places of worship, and homes?

Members discussed the lack of available data through which to understand and track patterns in gun ownership and gun violence. There is no federal gun registry; all data comes from the gun industry’s tracking of buying patterns. Using this resource, there are an estimated 400 million firearms in this country; however, without reliable or objective data on the number and type of guns in circulation, gun violence prevention efforts have had to rely on best-guesses. In 2019, Congress reached a deal to fund research on gun violence for the first time in over two decades. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the National Institutes of Health are now able to study this issue and the evidence-base is growing. According to Robin, mounting research says that having a gun does not make you safer. Members struggled with the idea that owning a gun makes you feel safer, while also increasing the risk of gun violence to your community. A member shared how she struggles with this because on one hand, while she believes guns do not make her safer, she also feels safer owning a gun.

Organizations like Project Unloaded are working to shift the gun debate to imagine a world where guns are not necessary in our lives and communities. Giffords organizes gun owners, medical professionals, teachers and parents to show the different perspectives calling for gun violence prevention. These wide-ranging perspectives say there is more we can do to address gun violence in this country that is not at odds with gun ownership. Meaningful change will require a multifaceted approach that includes grassroots organizing, gun violence prevention laws, public health policy, and cultural change.

A member asked: How do we combat the burnout and stress we experience as shootings continue to occur and legislative progress is slow? How do we push back on the cynicism or feelings of hopelessness? WGR exists to provide spaces for honest connection and energy—please use this community to have honest conversations, be vulnerable, and explore complex issues as they unfold. The Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee leadership will continue to organize spaces like this Open Forum, and take requests for the kind of programming members need at dei.wgr@gmail.com.

The following resources were referenced in the Open Forum:

• H.R.8 - Bipartisan Background Checks Act of 2019: https://www.congress.gov/bill/116th-congress/house-bill/8
• Giffords is an organization dedicated to saving lives from gun violence. Led by former Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords, we inspire the courage of people from all walks of life to make America safer: https://giffords.org/
• Project Unloaded is an organization working to create a new cultural narrative that guns make us less safe: https://www.projectunloaded.org/
• Washington Post Article | Now the government is funding gun violence research, but it's years behind: https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2022/05/26/now-government-is-funding-gun-violence-research-it-years-behind/
• Time Interactive | Guns in America: https://time.com/guns-in-america/

WGR Open Forums welcome all WGR members to join together in critical conversation. WGR’s Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee values member feedback in our shared work. Do you have another topic in mind, or feedback on this forum? Contact us directly at dei.wgr@gmail.com or complete this anonymous survey. 

This month’s blog is authored by DEI Committee Co-Vice Chair Larkin Willis.

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¹ While polls show that people in the U.S. increasingly perceive owning firearms as an effective means of self-defense, research has not established a link between self-defense gun use and a reduced likelihood of injury or property loss (Hemenway, 2017). Research has shown that gun access increases the risk of homicide and triples the risk of suicide (Anglemyer, Horvath & Rutherford, 2014).