Guest Blog: Seven ways to fight gun violence

By Mark Glaze, Director, Mayors Against Illegal Guns

Americans can no longer stomach the epidemic of gun violence in this country. In our movie theaters, our shopping malls, and now our elementary schools, guns are claiming the lives of 33 people every day. That’s 48,000 men, women, and children who will be shot and killed during President Obama’s second term in office – unless Washington acts.

We need the president and our nation’s leaders to finally stand up and confront this issue head-on. Their moments of silence and heartfelt condolences will not suffice anymore. We must demand action. We must demand a plan.

Mayors Against Illegal Guns, the largest gun violence prevention advocacy organization in the country, has more than 750 mayors and 700,000 grassroots supporters who are doing just that. From New York to North Dakota, Americans are more eager than ever for our elected officials to do something about the carnage.

Along with survivors and family members of victims of gun violence, our organization launched the Demand A Plan campaign urging Washington to reduce gun crime by:

      ●  Requiring criminal background checks for all gun sales and fixing the loopholes in our gun laws that easily allow dangerous people to get their hands on firearms. Right now, more than 40% of gun sales go through with no paperwork and no questions asked.

      ●    Banning the deadly, military-style weapons and high-capacity magazines whose only purpose is to gun down large numbers of people as quickly as possible.

      ●    Making gun trafficking a felony.

These are commonsense proposals that will help save lives.

Hundreds of thousands of people across the U.S. from all walks of life are demanding a plan. Join them and help prevent future tragedies from claiming our loved ones. Here are seven ways you can take action:

(1)    Sign our petition calling on President Obama and Congress.

(2)    Donate now to help hold our leaders accountable for keeping guns out of dangerous hands

(3)    Share the petition on Facebook and Twitter.

(4)    Call our leaders:

●         Call the White House: 202-456-1111

●         Look up your Senator

●         Look up your Representative

(5)    Recruit your mayor to join Mayors Against Illegal Guns. Find out if your mayor is in the coalition here. If they are, thank them! If they aren’t, contact them and ask them to join by signing our Statement of Principles here.

(6)    Spread the word on social media.

●         Follow @DemandAPlan on Twitter

●         Like our Facebook page

     

(7)    Write a letter to the editor of your local paper demanding a plan from our elected officials.