Preventing Gun Violence Against Women (2024) Group Actions
Action Alerts:
Urge Congress to take immediate action to stop gun violence:
- Every year, over 40,000 Americans die as victims of gun violence. That’s over 100 deaths per day. Americans are 26 times more likely to be killed with a gun than people in other high-income nations, despite the fact that gun deaths are incredibly preventable. The scourge of gun violence in America is both a public safety issue and a public health epidemic. After tragedies in too many communities, we are committed to working consistently and courageously to stem the overwhelming tide of gun violence in the United States.
Urge Congress to protect survivors of domestic violence and close the boyfriend loophole:
- Millions of Americans report experiencing domestic violence each year, and access to firearms compounds the threat. When an abusive partner has access to a gun, a domestic violence victim is five times more likely to be killed. Under federal law, convicted domestic abusers are prohibited from owning guns only if they were married to, lived with, or had a child with the victim. If an abuser does not meet any of those criteria, the abuser can legally procure a gun. This is called the “boyfriend loophole.” In June 2022, with passage of the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act, Congress partially closed the loophole. In June 2024, the Supreme Court reaffirmed in United States v. Rahimi that individuals subject to a domestic violence restraining order are constitutionally prohibited from possessing firearms. Now, Congress must finish the job and protect all survivors of dating violence by prohibiting all dating abusers and stalkers from accessing firearms.
Tell Congress to ban assault weapons:
- Assault weapons are military-style, semiautomatic firearms that can kill many people in a short period of time due to the weapons’ rapid rate of fire and high muzzle velocity – such firepower is increased when high-capacity magazines are attached, allowing the shooter to fire more rounds without needing to reload. These weapons of war have been used in many of the deadliest mass shootings in America. The Assault Weapons Ban would ban semiautomatic weapons and large capacity ammunition feeding devices, require background checks on all sales or transfers of grandfathered assault weapons, and mandate safe storage of grandfathered weapons – all of which would help safeguard American communities.
Urge Congress to require background checks on all gun sales:
- In 2017, for the first time in modern history, substantially more Americans were killed with firearms than in motor vehicle accidents. This tragic trend continued in 2018, and in 2020, gun violence became the leading cause of death for Americans aged 0-19, underscoring that in the face of the unabated, preventable epidemic of gun violence, Congress must act. The vast majority of Americans, including gun owners, support common sense policies like background checks for every gun sale to prevent senseless violence.
Tell Congress to protect children from gun violence:
- In 2020, firearm-related deaths surpassed motor vehicle accidents as the leading cause of death for American children aged 1-19. The CDC researchers who found the data noted in an April 2022 letter to the New England Journal of Medicine that “the increasing firearm-related mortality reflects a longer-term trend and shows that we continue to fail to protect our youth from a preventable cause of death.” Unsecured weapons may be a contributing factor to these horrible statistics.
Media Recommendations
TO WATCH:
Summary:
House of Tulip follows two Black trans activists as they run for office and work to build Louisiana’s first housing refuge that provides residency solely for trans and gender non-conforming residents. We’ll follow the founders as they fight to use their organization to protect and build community in a state with one of the highest murder rates in the country. Their journeys will highlight the dangerous, yet beautiful reality of what it means to be Black trans women in the deep South.
Discussion Qs:
- What were your initial reactions to this documentary? Did you learn anything new?
- How did the documentary use House of Tulip as a way to discuss the intersections of gun violence more generally?
- How can we support communities that experience gun violence, even when they are not our own?
They Ain’t Ready For Me (2020)
Summary:
THEY AIN'T READY FOR ME is the story of Tamar Manasseh, the African American rabbinical student who is leading the fight against senseless killings on the south side of Chicago. The film explores the challenges and motivations of this fearless community leader as she works to prevent more people from being killed by gun violence. Tamar's complex identity and magnetic personality combine to make her a force to be reckoned with, and she hasn't even hit her stride yet.
Discussion Qs:
- What are your initial thoughts on this documentary? Did you learn anything new?
- For Rabbinical student Tamar Manesseh, being a Jew and being Jewish is about action; not the talk, but the walk. It’s about what do you do and how do you do it. Through her Jewish values, identity, and beliefs, how has Manesseh brought about change on the corner of 75th and Stewart in Chicago thereby preventing gun violence in the community?
- In the documentary, Manesseh and MASK volunteers address individual versus community responsibility, environmental influences, and exposure to gun use and violence. White Jewish individuals are seen under her tent supporting her advocacy efforts by getting involved with MASK’s mission.
- Jewish women leaders can play a pivotal role in the movement to prevent gun violence by leveraging their unique positions within their communities and broader society. Could you volunteering in communities that are not directly your own to help build? Where’s somewhere near to you that you could start?
TO READ:
“Prayer for Victims of New Zealand Terror Attack” by Rabbi Stacey Zisook Robinson
Summary:
A poem written by Reform Jewish Rabbi Stacey Zisook Robinson following the New Zealand terror attack in which a gunman shot 51 people in a mosque.
Discussion Qs:
- What are your initial reactions to this poem? How did it make you think and feel?
- The poet repeatedly notes that God is present, even in humanity’s darkest moments. How do you interpret this claim?
“Incels: Inside a dark world of online hate” by Jonathan Griffin
Summary:
Jake Davison, the man suspected of killing five people in Plymouth, had been active on social media platforms discussing the "incel" movement—young men describing themselves as "involuntarily celibate." At least two previous mass killings, both in the United States, have drawn attention to the online activities of these groups. So, what do we know about those who participate in these forums?
“Nine Years After Deadly ‘Incel’ Attack, Threat of Male Supremacism is Growing” by Rachael Fugardi
Summary:
The Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC) writes a deep dive on male supremacist violence and how it spreads.
Discussion Qs (for both above articles)
- What did you think of these articles? Did you learn anything new?
- What did you find most interesting about these articles? What did you find most alarming?
- New America, a leading policy and research organization, has given five key recommendations to start addressing threats posed by misogynistic incel violence. Based on the article, do you think these recommendations would be helpful? Which ones, and why?
- Support improved mental health services and access as a social good—but don’t mistake this for a solution to ideological violence.
- Provide possible alternatives for intervention programs and suggest that interventions should draw on examples of programs designed to deal with domestic abuse perpetrators and counter racist violence for specialized counseling.
- Avoid interventions that reinforce boys’ and men’s entitlement—collaborations with gender justice organizations can strengthen program design.
- Intervene early and through routine systems to prevent movement along a spectrum of dehumanization and misogyny toward violent extremes.
- Fund more research and collaborations into male supremacism broadly and protect researchers’ ability to work in the face of threats and doxing.
“Women impacted by gun violence want to make one thing clear: ‘We don’t have to live like this’” by Jennifer Gerson
Summary:
The 19th spoke with three women about how their experiences have impacted the way they have come to understand the gun violence epidemic in America.
Discussion Qs:
- What are your initial reactions to this poem? How did it make you think and feel?
- Did any story, or any moment from a story, stick out to you? Which one, and why?
“Sanctuary” by Susan Merson
Summary:
In this fiction piece, Merson explores what it means for a space to be safe and holy.
Discussion Qs:
- What are your initial reactions to this short story? How did it make you think and feel?
- One of the most interesting parts of this story is how abrupt the violence is. What do you think the author hoped to accomplish with that choice?
- Did you feel that this story, despite being fiction, was realistic? Why or why not?
TO LISTEN:
Leaving Eden Ep. 122: “Is Toxic Masculinity a Cult?”
Summary:
In this episode, Gavi presents an overview of what he has learned over the past 5 months during his deep dive into the manosphere. He and Sadie discuss how the thought patterns that are relied upon for toxic masculinity to operate absolutely share elements with cult control.
Trigger Warning: In general, we talk about a lot of potentially triggering topics on this show, including but not limited to suicide and mental health, racism, misogyny, PTSD and PTSD symptoms, child abuse, mental, physical, and sexual abuse, and spiritual abuse including guilt, shame, and fear. In this episode we’re going to be discussing a ton of misogyny, just all of the kinds and shapes of misogyny, but we’ll also likely mention mass shootings, individual violence against women, and sex trafficking.
Discussion Qs:
- What did you think of the podcast episode? Did you learn anything new?
- Answer the question yourself: is Toxic Masculinity a Cult? What do you think and why?
- How have you witnessed the impacts or effects of toxic masculinity in your own world? In those you interact with? In what you watch, read, or listen to?
- Sadie brings up that “Us vs. Them" thinking is hardwired into the brain. How has toxic masculinity turned this on its head and weaponized it? What is the detrimental outcome to this?
- Sadie shares the quote from American feminist writer, Marie Shear: “Feminism is the radical notion that women are people.” Can you unpack how this quote is in direct contradiction to the thinking this episode has been about? Think about how this kind of thinking lends itself to violence against women, given the juxtaposition of Shear’s quote and the complexities of toxic masculinity.
- How and why does something like this gain popularity? How does this culture threaten safety, individuality, and those who don’t ascribe?
Red, Blue, and Brady Ep. 192: “Gun Violence and the Dating Partner Loophole”
Summary:
When it comes to intimate partner violence, the presence of firearms is deadly. Horrifically, more than one in four homicides in the United States are related to domestic violence. The passing of the bipartisan Safer Communities Act is a massive step forward in addressing gun violence within intimate partner violence, but as guest Rachel Graber (Director of Public Policy, National Coalition Against Domestic Violence) broke down for hosts Kelly and JJ, we're not at the finish line yet. This bill partially closes the so-called "dating loophole," in that domestic partners convicted of domestic abuse will no longer be able to purchase firearms, rather than just spouses or former spouses (though there are time limits and other provisions). Rachel explains what the bill does (and doesn't do), what impact recent Supreme Court decisions may have on gun laws, and how to address intimate partner violence better.
Discussion Qs:
- What did you think of the podcast episode? Did you learn anything new?
- Rachel Graber notes that many take violence against strangers more seriously than violence against dating partners. Why do you think that is?
- At one point in the discussion, the hosts discuss how the reproductive rights and gun violence prevention SCOTUS cases of 2022 are connected. How do you think these two issues are/can be connected?
Red, White, and Brady Ep. 168: “Rising Anti-Semitic Gun Violence, Its Causes and Effects, and Where We Go From Here”
Summary:
This week, an armed man, making antisemitic statements, entered the Congregation Beth Israel synagogue in Colleyville, Texas, while members celebrated Shabbat morning services. What followed was a ten-hour hostage crisis that thankfully ended when Rabbi Charlie Cytron-Walker threw a chair at the gunman, and the congregants were able to run to safety. But this terrifying attack isn't the first act of violence based in antisemitism; and, as many experts warn, it might not be the last. To discuss what happened in Colleyville, how anti-Jewish prejudice has become mixed with gun violence, hate crimes, and how we can all push back against this violence, hosts Kelly and JJ are joined by Shira Goodman, Director of Campaigns and Outreach at the Anti-Defamation League.
Discussion Qs:
- What did you think of the podcast episode? Did you learn anything new?
- Shira Goodman, Director of Campaigns at Outreach at the Anti-Defamation League, shared that antisemitic incidents are on the rise, particularly in spaces with large Jewish communities. What explanation does she give for this trend?
- What is suggested to combat anti-Jewish prejudice in its beginning stages and then as long-term strategies?
- How can one combat visible examples of the first amendment that cause rifts within communities and safe spaces? Why is this interruption crucial to tackling rising prejudices?
- Why is partnering with elected officials key to positive movement against antisemitism and racism?
Text Study
“Do not stand idly by while your neighbor’s blood is shed.” (Leviticus 19:16)
- What are your initial reactions to this quote?
- How do you think this quote fits into our advocacy against gun violence and gender-based violence?
- What do you think it means to “stand idly by”? Is it different than just “stand[ing] by”?
- What steps can we take to not be “idle bystanders” to gun violence and intimate partner violence, both as individuals and as a community?
“One who takes one life, it is as though they have destroyed the universe, and one who saves one life, it is as though they have saved the universe.” (Mishnah Sanhedrin 4:5)
- What are your initial reactions to this quote?
- How do you think this quote fits into our advocacy against gun violence and gender-based violence?
- This is a quote that is often used in multiple different areas of advocacy. Do you think it has specific relevance to gun violence prevention and gender-based violence prevention? Why or why not?
“And they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruninghooks.” (Isaiah 2:4)
- What are your initial reactions to this quote?
- How do you think this quote fits into our advocacy against gun violence and gender-based violence?
- In this quote, Isaiah describes a time of absolute peace without violence. Do you think this is realistic? If not, why? And if so, how do we create this world?
“When you build a new house, you shall make a parapet for your roof, so that you do not bring bloodguilt on your house if anyone should fall from it.” (Deuteronomy 22:8)
- What are your initial reactions to this quote?
- How do you think this quote fits into our advocacy against gun violence and gender-based violence?
- The word “parapet” is also sometimes translated to “guardrail”—what do you think are the most important guardrails to put in place to prevent gun violence and violence against women more generally?