First, we want to emphasize that, over the years, we have overwhelmingly observed that legal & law-abiding gun owners are respectful and reasonable people. Many legal & law-abiding gun owners naturally ask if our initiative supports a gun ban. To be clear: our platform makes absolutely no mention of a gun ban. In fact, we actively signed the petition against Bill C-71 and shared the link on Facebook so others could add their signatures as well. See here(opens in new tab) and here(opens in new tab).opens in new tab)
This e-petition is now the most signed petition on guns. See here(opens in new tab). Once we educate them, they understand that our rising gun violence crisis is actually a symptom of systemic economic inequality, driven by the long-term social and economic exclusion of targeted groups.
Anyone paying attention to the news knows that the media primarily reports on gun violence stemming from a growing criminal underworld. Why would anyone believe a gun ban now would make a noticeable impact? Legal & law-abiding gun owners are not the problem; the rapid growth of illegal gun ownership is the true threat to everyone. Poverty-stricken communities are turning to crime simply to survive. They are the victims of systemic social and economic exclusion, which breeds poverty, which ultimately leads to preventable crimes. As a result, our collective public safety is deeply threatened.For years, we have cautioned the public that dark days were on the horizon unless we addressed these exclusionary tactics. Now, we are running out of time to make mistakes. It appears every solution except the right one has been executed. Those poor policy decisions have cost us the peace of mind we once enjoyed—and they have cost innocent lives. We must take well-calculated, decisive steps large enough to make a real difference. Therefore, the definitive answer to legal & law-abiding gun owners' questions is an absolute no, for a number of reasons:
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- For a legal gun ban to have maximum impact, it must be firmly implemented years before gun violence reaches a crisis level. The guns are already on the streets. Bottom line: it is too little, too late.
- Even if a gun ban successfully becomes law, many lives will still be lost. Homicides would likely surpass the record numbers seen in 2018, where the vast majority of incidents were driven by gang activity.
- Individuals who use firearms as tools of the trade to make a living in the criminal underworld are not going to surrender them for the "best interests" of society. They will not cooperate with a society that historically practiced—and continues to maintain—the systemic social and economic exclusion that plunged their communities into poverty.
- A severe backlash will occur among legal, law-abiding gun owners. They rightfully feel targeted and unfairly punished for crimes committed by illegal gun users.
Our focus from day one—and always—is to address the root cause of poverty, which will naturally drive down youth gangs and gun-related crimes. Whenever gun violence spikes, the government routinely punishes legal, law-abiding gun owners by enacting more restrictive laws. Illegal gun users are giving responsible gun owners a bad name, and legal owners are sick and tired of being scapegoated for a systemic poverty problem. This is precisely why a growing number of legal, law-abiding gun owners have spent years purchasing "Silence the Violence and Shun the Guns" items from our expanding product and service line. To successfully dismantle youth gangs and eradicate gun violence, we must extend ongoing support. We must allocate our money, time, and effort to organizations that are fully committed to doing the heavy lifting. We need competent, accountable leadership with a proven track record of guiding poverty-stricken individuals toward financial stability—offering a hand up to pull them out of systemic hardship. Our ultimate goal is to transform impoverished communities into thriving, self-sufficient economic environments.
LEGAL & LAW-ABIDING GUN OWNERS, TAKE ACTION NOW!
With growing calls for a handgun ban, the time is now to join us, educate the public, and stand against it. Show your solidarity by purchasing our "I Support Legal and Law-Abiding Gun Owners, Not Gangs" t-shirt, or browse our related items to help back this initiative here(opens in new tab) and to ensure nonstop advocacy communication, buy a wrist bracelet here(opens in new tab) and then attend and march at the Silence the Violence and Shun the Guns annual march. All the details for the event can be found here(opens in new tab).