The aftermath of gun violence, big business takes action, and listening to rape survivors: Your civic action to-do list for 9-16-19
3. Here’s a shocking statistic on the link between domestic violence and gun violence: Nearly one million women alive in the U.S. today report having been shot or shot at by an intimate partner. Those are just the women who’ve survived.
In a nutshell: Technically, it is illegal for convicted perpetrators of domestic violence to own firearms. Realistically, many abusers have never been convicted, and even those who have need only crawl through one of the many loopholes in our laws to purchase a gun. A background check before the sale of every gun would save countless lives.
Take Action: Listen to a domestic violence survivor tell her shocking story of being shot by her husband on a new NPR podcast Shattered: A First-Hand Look at Life After Being Shot.
2. Every day in the United States 100 people are shot and killed. (While 200 more are shot and survive.) That’s why the CEOs of 145 of the country’s largest companies signed a letter imploring Congress to do something.
In a nutshell: Over the past few months, the private sector has taken action – banning the sale of some firearms and ammunition, asking customers not to open-carry in their stores, and signing a public letter in support of common-sense gun violence prevention legislation.
Take Action: Call your Representative and tell them to support an assault weapons ban, and call your Senators and tell them to support the House-passed universal background check bill (H.R. 8)!
1. According to last week’s federal government report, more than 730,000 people were victims of rape in 2018.
In a nutshell: Sexual assault is at a five-year high, yet many victims are still not believed when they come forward to tell their story to family, friends, and law enforcement.
Take Action: Watch Unbelievable, a Netflix miniseries based on real serial rape cases, which shows how important it is to believe survivors – and what happens when we don’t.