Friend, Today, June 21, is ASK (Asking Saves Kids) Day. As we celebrate the beginning of summer and look forward to the warm weather, vacation, and more time with friends and family, we use this day to remind parents and guardians to ask: "Is there an unlocked gun where my child plays?" It's a simple question, but it could save a life. In the United States, 4.6 million children live in homes with access to an unlocked or unsupervised gun. And every year, thousands of kids are injured or killed as a result. Asking about guns in the home is an important step to prevent family fire — a shooting involving an improperly stored or misused gun found in the home that results in death or injury. Family fire includes unintentional shootings, firearm suicide, and even some intentional shootings. But these tragedies are preventable. Parents and caregivers can make a difference by asking about firearm storage and encouraging others to do the same. ASKing is more important now than ever before. According to recent data, approximately 7.5 million adults in America acquired their first firearm between 2019-2021, with 5.4 million adults bringing firearms into homes that were previously gun-free. With so many new gun owners, it is essential we have frank discussions about secure gun storage — especially given that only 54% of these first-time gun owners report storing all firearms locked and unloaded. Summer is also a particularly important time to ASK because kids start spending more time at home or at the homes of friends and family. And summer weeks, particularly around the Fourth of July, have the highest rates of unintentional shootings. So, as we mark the start of summer, please join us in learning more about Brady's ASK campaign and how you can spread the ASK message in your community. We have tips, tools, and resources for you to start the conversation and protect your kids from unsecured firearms in the home. |
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In solidarity, Team Brady |
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Political Violence and Gun Violence: A Weekend of Mourning |
(L-R): Arthur Folasa Ah Loo and his wife and two children. Minnesota House Speaker Emerita Melissa Hortman and her husband Mark. Last weekend, we witnessed how gun violence and political violence can devastate communities nationwide. Minnesota House Speaker Emerita Melissa Hortman, a Democrat, and her husband, Mark, were shot and killed by a man impersonating a police officer who came to their home. Senator John Hoffman, also a Democrat, and his wife, Yvette, were injured at their home with no fewer than 17 shots by the same assailant. In Utah, Arthur Folasa Ah Loo, better known as 'Afa,' was shot and killed at the Salt Lake City No Kings protest while exercising his inalienable right to free speech and protest. It was a sobering few days and a horrific reminder of the devastating impact of unfettered access to guns and their undeniable role in political violence. The shooter in Minnesota had three assault-style rifles in his car, and Afa was shot and killed when a "peacekeeper" fired on a man who brought an AR-15 to the No Kings protest in Utah. As we continue to ask ourselves why this happened, one answer is always the same: It's the guns.
As we continue to mourn the lives lost in Utah and Minnesota, please join us in reading Brady President Kris Brown's latest Substack: "A Nation Shaking: The Cost of Fomenting Hate."
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Brady Condemns Supreme Court Decision in United States v. Skrmetti |
On Wednesday, the United States Supreme Court upheld a Tennessee law that makes it unlawful for doctors to prescribe gender-affirming medical care to youth, even when patients themselves, their parents, and their healthcare providers agree that such care is medically necessary. This decision endangers trans youth across the country and is an outright attack on LGBTQ+ rights. Trans youth are already at a heightened risk of gun violence — particularly firearm suicide — because of discrimination, bullying, and systemic oppression. This deadly decision further threatens trans youth and the mental health of young people nationwide and is compounded by the Trump administration's recent decision to terminate the National LGBTQ+ Youth Suicide Lifeline. In a country where gun violence is the number one killer of kids and teens, we should be working to make our kids safer — not prohibiting life-saving medical care. Please join us in reading more about this decision or listen to our podcast about trans youth and firearm suicide in America. |
Honoring the Victims of the Emanuel AME Church Shooting with Action |
This week 10 years ago, our nation experienced a horrific tragedy as nine Black worshippers were shot and killed at the Emanuel AME Church in Charleston, SC. This was a targeted, racially-motivated hate crime that devastated friends, family, and an entire community. White supremacy kills — and it's made more deadly by our nation's weak gun laws. The shooter got his firearm through a loophole in our nation's background check system — now known as the "Charleston loophole." This loophole allows gun dealers to transfer a firearm to a purchaser after three business days if a background check has been submitted but not completed. The impact of this glaring gap in law cannot be ignored: More than 53,000 firearms have been sold to prohibited purchasers since 2008 because of the Charleston loophole, with an average of 11 prohibited individuals a day being able to purchase guns. Enough is enough. In honor of the lives lost in Charleston, take action with us today and call on Congress to pass life-saving legislation to fix this deadly loophole! |
Juneteenth: Honoring Freedom, Demanding Justice |
Thursday commemorated Juneteenth — the day that marked the end of slavery in the United States. This day, and every day, we must reflect on how far we've come, and how far we still must go. Gun violence has long been the leading cause of death for Black youth in America. Black Americans are 10 times more likely to die from gun homicide than white Americans, and Black men live, on average, four years less than their white counterparts due to gun violence. These are not just statistics; they represent the legacy of systemic racism and policy failure. While we celebrated Juneteenth this week, we cannot forget that slavery's legacy is killing Black Americans right here and right now. We must treat it not only as a day of remembrance but also a call to action. True freedom means the ability to live without fear of being targeted, harmed, or killed — whether by a firearm, or by the systems that allow these tragedies to continue. Gun violence is a racial justice issue. This preventable epidemic wreaks havoc on Black and Brown communities nationwide, and we have to address it head on. To honor the history of Juneteenth and the millions of Black Americans who have died because of our nation's racist history and present, we must commit ourselves to addressing gun violence and listening to the Black leaders and communities most affected by this epidemic. Please join Brady in learning more about how gun violence is a racial justice issue and its impacts on Black communities throughout America. |
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