I haven’t been quiet about commonsense gun reform on this blog. The mass shooting in Parkland, Florida two weeks ago is heartbreaking—and, shockingly, commonplace in our country. It is appalling that there is so little political will to do anything about it. I find myself asking, what can I do for gun reform?
Chances are, you want tighter gun control too, as does most of the country. According to a poll taken on February 20:
- 97% of Americans want universal background checks
- 67% of Americans want a nationwide ban on assault-style rifles, like the one used in the Parkland shooting
- 83% of Americans want a mandatory waiting period to buy a gun
Want to turn these commonsense reforms into reality? Still wondering what you can do for gun reform? Read on.
What can I do for gun reform? Start here.
Call Dick’s, Walmart & Kroger
This week Dick’s Sporting Goods pulled all assault-style rifles from its shelves, and it raised the age of buying a gun to 21.
The company issued a statement to make the announcement. It read, in part,
Our thoughts and prayers are with all of the victims and their loved ones. But thoughts and prayers are not enough. We have tremendous respect and admiration for the students organizing and making their voices heard regarding gun violence in schools and elsewhere in our country. We have heard you. The nation has heard you. … The systems in place are not effective to protect our kids and our citizens.
Can you hear me applauding from here?
So I called Dick’s Sporting Goods to thank them for their proactive and responsible move to stop selling semi-automatic weapons and high-capacity magazines. It took one minute. The customer representative said they are logging calls and tallying who said what, and you can bet anti-reform folks are calling. I urge you to make your voice heard, too.
You can call Dick’s at 1-877-846-9997. Push 5 to talk to a representative.
Walmart also raised the legal age to buy firearms and ammunition at its stores from 18 to 21. (It already stopped selling assault rifles a few years back.) Call Walmart’s customer service line at 1-800-925-6278 to share your support.
Kroger, which owns Fred Meyer, has also raised its age requirement to buy guns to 21. (I had no idea you could buy a gun at most Fred Meyers, in case you wanted to pick up a pistol along with your toilet paper and milk.) Tell them you support gun reform by calling Kroger customer service at 1-800-576-4377.
Applaud progress in Oregon
Oregon was the first state to pass gun control legislation since the Parkland shooting. HB4145, the Domestic Violence Victims Protection Bill, makes it illegal for convicted abusive partners and stalkers to own a gun (and empowers the police to take away those firearms), and it notifies law enforcement when these people try and fail to buy a gun. This commonsense gun reform law makes us all safer by keeping weapons out of the hands of violent, volatile abusers.
If you live in Oregon, I invite you to contact your state representative about HB4145. First, find the legislator who represents you, then see how your representative voted on the Domestic Violence Victims Protection Bill. Finally, call your representative to thank him or her—or tell him or her you expect better from the person who represents you.
Dissolve ties with the NRA
Historically, many companies offer discounts to NRA members, but now those businesses are cutting ties with the gun organization. These companies are acting on the moral outrage to the NRA’s position against essentially any gun reform efforts—and to the NRA’s heinous, horrible comments in the days following the Parkland shooting.
I regularly rent cars from Enterprise for work, and the car rental company is one business that dropped its connection to the NRA. So I contacted Enterprise and told them I appreciated the move, which aligns with my values and my family’s safety. I told them I look forward to renting cars from a company that listens to its customers and does what’s right.
Are you a customer of any of the companies that continue to support the NRA? (I’m looking at you, Fed-Ex.) Then contact their customer service hotlines and let them know you won’t give them your business until they change their relationship to the NRA.
Money talks, and voting with our dollars makes a difference.
Join a Moms Demand Action event
Moms are powerful. (Remember how MADD, Mothers Against Drunk Driving, mobilized an entire nation to create stronger anti-inebriation laws and prevent drunk driving?) Join other people—not only mothers—who are working for a nation safe from this kind of preventible gun violence.
Enter your zipcode to find an event near you. I’m going to a Moms Demand Action event in March and look forward to connecting with other involved citizens and learning how to turn my outrage into change.
March with March for Our Lives
On March 24, survivors and family members of the Parkland shooting, among others, will arrive in Washington, DC and demonstrate in a youth-organized March for Our Lives. If you don’t live in DC, there are marches all across the country on March 24. Find an event near you with this map.
These marches are organized by teens—partly because we adults have done pretty much zero to protect them from school shootings like the one in Parkland. And guess what? These kids are rallying, challenging national leaders and actually getting stuff done. I will be marching with them—no, behind them—on the 24th.
Will you be there?
Wondering what more you can do for gun reform? Read my earlier post with 4 steps against gun violence, amplify what teens are saying on the #MarchForOurLives Twitter hashtag, and don’t forget to share what you’re doing with family, friends, neighbors and everyone you know on social media.
We have to put an end to this.
Thank you for outlining these easy, actionable items we can do to help! Seriously: I had NO idea that Fred Meyer sold guns. The thought is mortifying.
Marlynn | UrbanBlissLife recently posted…30-Minute Cauliflower Carrot Soup
I didn’t know that either! Scary, right?
Thanks so much for sharing all of these resources – you are making it so much easier to answer that question of “what can we really do?” You are laying it all out there and I appreciate your efforts so much.
You’re very welcome, Lindsay. This post came from frustration that change often feels so far from our grasp. But when we act together, reform is possible.
Thank you for this post. Including phone numbers and specific instruction on what to say when you do is a great call to action. There is no reason why those of us who are aligned on this issue cannot take action now.
Yes! We need everyone to come out and share why they support commonsense gun laws.
As a high school teacher, this discussion is all too real and relevant. Thank you for this great list of actions to take to help change this insanity.
Oh my, yes. We owe it to our country’s children—and the adults who teach them—to keep them safe.
What an important and informative post on gun reform. I am never quite sure how to take action, but this definitely outlines it well!
I’m glad, Erin! This is a huge, overwhelming topic, so it’s important we take even small steps.
It’s such a simple thing to do to pick up the phone and thank someone, whether that’s your neighbor or a company that is following your same principles. Thank you for the reminder that we can all play our part in this much needed gun reform!
You make such a good point, Hillary: People usually call companies only to complain, so they hear an overwhelming amount of negative feedback. It’s so important to let them know when you approve of controversial moves.
I agree with 100% of this! I love that you’ve included easy ways to reach out and make your voice heard. I will be contacting FedEx to let them know they won’t have any of my business while they continue to support the NRA. I’ll be sharing this with my networks!
Wonderful, Jenni! Yes, I hope pressure on FedEx pushes them to do the right thing.
Thanks for this post full of straightforward ways to contribute to making common sense gun reform a reality. I’m not interested in taking guns away from people who hunt to feed themselves and their families; I’m not interested in taking guns away way from people who shoot targets for sport; I also understand those who live in places where they need to defend themselves and their property from animal predators (thinking rural and farm areas). I am interested in taking guns away from people who are focused on slaughtering other human beings, to those who are a danger to themselves and others, and young people who have not been trained to use a weapon and are not of mature enough mind to understand how dangerous they are. Most Americans want common sense gun control. I add my voice to theirs.
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Thank you, thank you, Meg. We need our voices to be louder than the minority that would have guns be available to all, at any cost.
Thank you so much for sharing. I’m so happy to hear that some companies are raising the legal age to purchase a firearm and even better that Dick’s sporting goods is no longer selling assault riffles. There is still much to be done but this is a step in the right direction!
Yes! And while Congress continues to be unable to pass any meaningful legislation, it’s up to companies to make the first step.
Thanks for putting this together, Catherine!
Absolutely. I hope it’s helpful, Michael!
This has been an extremely thoughtful and balanced series of articles. Well done, catherinemryan
Thank you for reading, and I’m glad you found it helpful!
Thank you for sharing this, very informative and positive
Hey Catherine, such a wonderful post on gun reform. And I think that this article really helped many others to take action.
Hi Marfuf, I’m so glad you think so. I definitely hope this post helps, at least a bit.
Hi Catherine!, Thanks so much for sharing this post and your braveness. You have included all the resources. Which would be grateful for others. I am sharing it in tweeter.
what can we really do?” You are laying it all out there Wow amazing content. Keep it up!