186: Brady in Brief: We Respond to Common Arguments Against Gun Violence Prevention

As we’ve seen another week pass in the US, that mass shootings have continued – from grocery stores, to schools, to hospitals, to even cemeteries.  After these mass shootings that gain national attention, a lot of questions come up in public conversation. Some of those questions posit that gun violence prevention methods aren’t the answer – that gun violence is a product of poor mental health, or video games, or just plain evil. How do we best answer those questions? In this very special episode, we bring you 12 very common questions that are raised after a mass shooting, and the answers that we – 12 different staffers at Brady – give in response.

We respond to the often-used arguments that: 

1. “We have a mental health problem, not a gun problem.” 
2. “Criminals don’t follow laws, so more gun laws won’t help.” 
3. “We need to use the laws we have on the books!” 
4. “Guns are overall better for the US; more guns equal less crime.” 
5. “We need to talk about the real cause: social media, video games, and rap music.”
6. “It's "too soon" and disrespectful to talk about gun laws after an attack.”
7. “A good guy with a gun stops a bad guy with a gun, so we should just arm folks.”  
8. “It’s my 2A right to own a gun, any attempt at regulation is going to lead to a destruction of my rights, my American way of life, and a spread of tyranny.”
9. “It’s all about a lack of security; we just need to harden schools, grocery stores, and other targets.” 
10. “It's not about guns, it's about law enforcement being "soft" on crime --we should be tougher on crime and crack down on would-be attackers.” 
11. “This is a social issue, and you can’t legislate evil.” 
12. “Nothing ever gets done, we never pass legislation, so why should I bother trying?”

Learn how we here at Brady respond to these questions -- and how you can respond yourself.

Want to get involved?
Urge your senators to expand and strengthen background checks.
Urge senators to confirm a director to lead the ATF, the agency that oversees the gun industry yet has lacked leadership for years.
Join a Brady chapter near you and sign up to attend our new volunteer session.

Mentioned in this podcast:
5 Ways You Can Act Now (Brady)
Again and Again and Again (the New York Times)
16 Facts About Gun Violence And School Shootings (Sandy Hook Promise)
A Mass Shooting in Texas and False Arguments Against Gun Control (the New Yorker)

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Full transcripts and bibliographies of this episode are available at bradyunited.org/podcast.

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Music provided by: David “Drumcrazie” Curby
Special thanks to Hogan Lovells for their long-standing legal support
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