Nexus makes monthly contributions to Everytown for Gun Safety, a 501(c)(3) that provides research and raises awareness on how to prevent gun violence.
I don’t particularly mind if this alienates us from otherwise wonderful clients. If you feel alienated by this, I owe you an explanation:
I believe kids have the human right to go to school without being murdered and without having their bones shattered by bullets.
This universal human right is more important than the expansive American right to bear arms. The Second Amendment has never been a universal right. It was drafted in an age of muskets, and it was conceived by white men without the input of women or people of color, who they sometimes owned.
Australia, New Zealand, and many other countries also allow citizens to bear arms. But these rights are tempered by regulations that statistically keep schools safer.
Everytown for Gun Safety does not advocate or organize for the complete removal of guns from the public. It recommends evidence-based regulation that brings America into compliance with commonly practiced standards in other advanced nations.
This is necessary for three reasons:
- Because no student should be forced to go to a school where they’re murdered or physically harmed.
- Because there is no “mental health” legislation that can prevent all angry people from terrorizing students.
- Because there is no practical way to seal off 1 million+ classrooms, plus the halls and playgrounds in 100,000+ American schools, from all active shooters.
Beyond schools, there are 45,000 firearm deaths per year in the US, roughly half due to suicide and half due to homicide. Additionally, there are 90,000 nonlethal firearm injuries annually. On a daily basis, that’s 120+ firearm deaths daily and 240+ nonlethal firearm injuries daily.
No matter your political affiliation, you can call your elected representatives and tell them that you recommend they read Everytown’s research document, ”How To Stop Shootings and Gun Violence in Schools”. You can then ask your representatives to please support the recommendations in this document. If you’re a Republican, or you’re represented by Republicans, then your action especially matters.
Long-held corporate wisdom holds that it is best to isolate political and personal views. This has the advantage of avoiding unnecessary barriers with customers and suppliers. But the evidence is in the results: This approach has not worked to solve systemic injustices in our society.
American companies take positions on issues all the time to influence policy, usually quietly and often for self interest. In my view, every American company should take a position to stand up for kids’ human rights to study safely. If it is possible for your company to support a similar position – in public communications, through contributions, and/or through direct actions – we encourage you to do so, to share what you’re doing, and to call on all companies in your industry to do the same.
By holding each other accountable, we can create a more just future.
Additional Resources
- See 16 maps and charts about American gun violence
- Learn about school shooter drills and their effects on kids’ mental health.
- Read The Guardian‘s 1,000-word explainer (4 minute reading time), “Why can’t America do anything to stop mass shootings?”
- Compare gun violence deaths per capita in developed countries
- Read how the international press views American inaction on gun safety
Editorials
- Student journalists: Our manifesto to fix America’s gun laws (2018)
- The Guardian editorial team: America must face the problem (2021), Another desperate day (2022)
- Arwa Mahdawi: After 21 people were killed, the Republican party’s newest enemy is … doors (2022)
- Christine Emba: You. This is your fault. (2022)
