Campaign to Stop Gun Violence

In the wake of the horrific mass shooting in Tucson in January 2011—where a mentally ill young man was able to legally purchase firearms and ammunition—the Educational Fund to Stop Gun Violence (EFSGV) began to ask organizations across the country to take a stand against senseless violence by publicly supporting policies that will keep guns out of the hands of violent and severely mentally ill individuals. We have created the Campaign to Stop Gun Violence because we feel it is time to fix the nation’s background check system for gun purchasers and close loopholes in the law that allow criminals, drug abusers, and the severely mentally ill to gain easy access to firearms. The Campaign is a coalition of national organizations that are willing to take a stand to let policy makers know that we can and must stop the flow of illegal guns into our communities.

Campaign members join by signing a general Statement of Principles encompassing a variety of gun policy positions that the majority of Americans embrace. Campaign efforts and programs include: a) Fostering research and education about gun violence; b) Supporting grassroots efforts to prevent gun violence; c) Advocating for common-sense gun policies like universal background checks and enhanced screening and training for individuals who carry guns in public.

Christian Heyne from the EFSGV staff, and Virginia Tech survivor Omar Samaha, are the organizers behind the Campaign to Stop Gun Violence. Omar lost his sister Reema in the mass shooting at VT in 2007. Christian's mother Jan was killed in a senseless act of gun violence on Memorial Day in 2005.

The Campaign to Stop Gun Violence is welcome to all national organizations that want to make a difference in preventing the loss of precious lives to gun violence. Please contact us today to become part of our coalition!

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Among the world's 23 wealthiest countries, 80 percent of all gun deaths are American deaths and 87 percent of all kids killed by guns are American kids. The simple truth is that if these high capacity guns weren’t legal to be sold in our country, tragedies such as Aurora and Wisconsin might have had far fewer casualties.

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The Peace Alliance and the Student Peace Alliance

"Physicians know first-hand the effects of gun violence on our patients and their families, whether in the emergency room, surgery or in recovery."
- Dr. Omega Silva, co-chair of the Advocacy Committee of the American Medical Women's Association (AMWA)

"Rational discussion on ways to address the preventable death and injury of nearly 100,000 people in America every year will benefit the health of all Americans."
- Dr. Norma J Waxman, MD, the co-chair of AMWA's Advocacy Committee

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Recurring incidences of senseless loss of life are a constant reminder that we must use our technology in a responsible manner. A Sikh Gurdwara in Wisconsin and a movie theater in Colorado are stark recent examples of the burden that the innocent have to bear because of our irresponsible policies.

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Dr. Satpal Singh, chairperson of the World Sikh Council
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The Anti-Defamation League is pleased to be part of the Campaign to Stop Gun Violence. Through coordinated advocacy, we hope to make progress towards the adoption of federal and state initiatives designed to make it more difficult for children, persons with mental illness, and extremists to acquire and use guns and other dangerous weapons.

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The Anti-Defamation League
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How many more mass murders will it take to convince our leaders to support stronger gun control laws that will save lives? We call on our elected officials on both sides of the aisle to ignore the rhetoric and work together to protect citizens from gun violence.

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Linda Sherry, director of national priorities for Consumer Action
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As Muslims, we believe that if anyone kills one person, it is as if he/she has killed all of humanity, and if anyone saves one life, it is as if he/she has saved all of humanity. When weapons fall in the hands of dangerous people, not only are lives lost and mourned within a given community, but a traumatic experience and sense of loss is felt throughout our entire nation. That is why we believe one of our nation's topmost priorities should be to implement legislation that keeps our communities safe and free from gun violence.

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Dr. Sayyid M. Syeed, national director for interfaith and community alliances, Islamic Society of North America
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The Clery Center for Security On Campus is dedicated to preventing violence on college and university campuses and to compassionately assisting the victims of campus crime. We have seen the impact of victimization - not just on individuals, but on the entire campus community. We are pleased to work with the Campaign to Stop Gun Violence to send the message that violence, in any form, is unacceptable.

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Clery Center for Security On Campus
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Our faith demands that we love our neighbors and our enemies. If silence is our response to the gun violence that is killing our neighbors and exploiting our children, we have failed our calling and failed our God in the easier of these two commands. The Alliance of Baptists is committed to work for peace. Endorsing the Statement of Principles of the Campaign to Stop Gun Violence is but one part of our work toward a world where peace is the path most taken and love is the language most spoken.

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The Alliance of Baptists
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Inconsistent application of and loosely worded laws regulating the sale of guns has led to far too many homicides, whether as mass shootings or the nearly every day occurrence of victims of domestic violence being murdered by their abuser. Background checks, especially at gun shows, can begin to reduce the horrendous toll of loss of lives we see in this country. It is imperative that we immediately have an honest dialogue about responsible gun ownership, and work to create strong laws that give law enforcement the tools they need to keep as any guns out of dangerous hands as possible.

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Rita Smith, Executive Director of National Coalition Against Domestic Violence