Following a discussion of guns and gun violence at the VP debate, the teen-fueled gun violence prevention organization Project Unloaded calls on public officials and cultural leaders to make clear that carrying and owning guns makes people less safe
CHICAGO – Tonight, Governor Walz and Senator Vance participated in a debate to help inform voters about how each candidate would approach the job of Vice President. The two candidates clashed on gun laws, but appeared united in their support for everyday Americans having guns at home. But the research on gun ownership and safety leaves little room for debate. Homes without guns are safer, as are communities with lower rates of gun ownership.
“The Harris-Walz and Trump-Vance campaigns offer dramatically different visions for gun laws in America, but when it comes to gun ownership, they’re singing the same tune – and that’s a problem,” said Nina Vinik, founder and president of Project Unloaded. “Owning and carrying guns makes people less safe. If the goal is ending gun violence, we must be crystal clear about the problem: It’s the guns. Normalizing gun ownership may be politically expedient, but it comes at a cost that American families have paid time and again. We must take a different approach to finally stop this epidemic.”
“Guns make us less safe,” said Shiven Patel, co-chair of Project Unloaded’s Youth Council. “Older generations are sometimes hesitant to make that clear, but my generation is too fed up to be cagey with the facts. No matter who wins in November, we’ll all be safer when fewer people choose to own and carry guns. That’s key to keeping schools safe, stopping gun suicides and reducing the gun violence that traumatizes communities every day in America. Guns are the problem, and everyone who has a public platform and cares about this issue should do their part to make that clear.”
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