October 2021 Newsletter

OCTOBER 2021 NEWSLETTER

GRANDPARENTS AGAINST GUN VIOLENCE

Gun Violence: Strategies to Curb This Public Health Epidemic

Monday, October 11
9:00 am to 12:30 pm

One week and counting!

Our annual Community Forum and topic couldn’t be more timely or important. Each year 40,000 Americans die in this ongoing public health epidemic. As we learn about these tragic deaths, we know we must do more than simply recognize this epidemic; we must do something about gun violence! And that’s why this year’s Community Forum focuses on strategies to curb its further spread.

Our keynote speaker is Dr. Megan Ranney, an emergency room physician who examines gun violence the same way medical science diagnoses epidemics. She’s been featured recently in The New York Times, CNN and NPR describing her four-step blueprint for a public health approach to reduce gun violence.

Dr. Ranney will be joined by representatives from two national organizations: Clai Lasher-Sommers, former Executive Director of States United to Prevent Gun Violence and currently a board member of GunSense Vermont and GunSense New Hampshire, and Robyn Thomas, Executive Director of Giffords Law Center in San Francisco.

From our own community, a panel of leaders will outline their effective strategies to reduce gun violence by improving education, homelessness, unemployment and living environments. Breakout sessions will follow with additional speakers from medicine and the arts discussing their varied approaches. We believe this webinar will be both informative and inspiring.

See the program that includes the morning’s agenda plus information about our impressive lineup of national and local speakers.

And you still have time to donate or purchase a $25 ticket here!

Gun Violence & COVID-19: Epidemics More Alike Than Not

More than 50 people Zoomed into September’s meeting and heard Dr. Denise Dowd of Children’s Mercy Hospital explain the commonalities between the spread of gun violence and the spread of COVID-19. In epidemiological terms, she described the three necessary factors that have ignited their respective, deadly spreads: the Host (people affected), the Agent (guns/the virus) and the Environment (where Host and Agent come together). The key to mitigating both epidemics is prevention, which demands a number of differing strategies.

To learn more about the presentation, click here. Dr. Dowd will also co-host a breakout session at the October 11 webinar.

Report for America’s Gun Violence Series Wins 1st Place Reporting Award

The team of local journalists producing Seeking Solutions at The Kansas City Star earned first place for best news series for its reporting on gun violence across Missouri. The Report for America program places journalists in newsrooms for one to two years to focus on under-reported issues. The team has examined gun violence in Missouri and its relationship to poverty, public health and domestic violence. Two of the key reporters on the series, Kaitlin Washburn and Humera Lodhi, were the featured speakers at GAGV’s March, 2021 program.

Read more here: Kansas City Star wins first place for best investigative reporting and news series.

News You Can Use

Missouri’s 2nd Amendment Protection act has embarrassingly landed the state in the September 29 issue of the nationally-distributed daily newsletter The Trace. The law, which just took effect in late August, essentially blocks local and state law enforcement from enforcing federal gun regulations. In practice, though, law enforcement officials from across the state have said its broad restrictions block police from participating in federal efforts to prosecute gun crimes and restrict trafficking. Read more here: Missouri’s ‘Second Amendment Sanctuary’ Law Could Complicate Police Efforts to Solve Gun Crimes.

Say Their Names

We provide this list to honor each person who leaves behind a family grieving its loss. To date, 166 homicides have been recorded in the metro KC area compared to 186 last year; 111 of those 166 deaths occurred in KCMO. 
 
Since our last newsletter, eight lives have been lost. We say their names to keep true to our vision that one day all people in our community will have the right to feel safe from gun violence.

Among all 50 states, Missouri has the 5th highest rate of injury and death from unintentional child shootings.

  – Everytown For Gun Safety’s Research and Policy Report 8-30-2021

Grandparents Against Gun Violence is a 501(c)(3) organization based in Kansas City, Missouri, that focuses on issues related to gun violence in Kansas and Missouri. We are working with community partners on strategies such as distributing gun locks to help gun owners protect the children in their homes from tragedy.

P.O. Box 11193, Overland Park, KS 66207  |  [email protected]

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