Instead Of Trying To Break Impossible Congressional Gridlock, Some Gun Violence Activists Start Thinking Local
Advocates are finding success in school board measures as well as simply talking to friends and neighbors about keeping their guns stored safely. Despite the high tensions that usually come with the issue, the movement is flying under the radar and making progress where others have been stymied.
NBC News:
How Moms Are Quietly Passing Gun Safety Policy Through School Boards
A few years ago, Finkelstein concluded that one of the most efficient ways to teach parents about keeping their guns safely stored would be to have public schools distribute the information. She met with Los Angeles school board members and the district superintendent and spoke before a school safety panel convened by City Attorney Mike Feuer. Last June, the school board unanimously endorsed a resolution asking parents to attest that any firearms they own are safely stored — becoming the largest school district nationally to do so. Since then — driven by activists like Finkelstein with the groups Women Against Gun Violence and Moms Demand Action — several other school districts have passed similar policies asking parents to sign letters saying they know why it's important to keep guns securely stored. Last Thursday, the Phoenix Union High School District became the latest to enact a policy that mirrors the Los Angeles one, and St. Louis Public Schools will vote on a similar proposal Tuesday. In addition, five school districts in Southern California, as well as Denver Public Schools, have launched secure gun storage awareness campaigns, and the Brady campaign said it's working on one with Marin County, in the San Francisco Bay Area. (Kingkade, 2/10)
And in Texas —
Texas Tribune:
For Texas U.S. Senate Candidate Amanda Edwards, Gun Violence Is Personal
Now 38 and jockeying to win Texas’ Democratic primary for U.S. Senate, the former Houston City Council member holds the memory close as she grapples with the lasting effects of gun violence and how best to prevent it. Edwards rarely talks about her family’s loss in public statements, but she recently opened up about the experience in an interview with The Texas Tribune. (Sparber, 2/11)
