Activity 1 Gun Safety Survey Rate your agreement with the statements below by circling the choice, below the statement, that most closely matches your feelings on the statement. SA A U/N D SD Strongly Agree Undecided/ Disagree Strongly Agree Neutral Disagree 1. Fear is the primary motivation underlying gun-rights advocates’ staunch resistance to gun controls. SA A U/N D SD 2. US pioneer history created a gun culture that continues to inspire gun-rights advocates today. SA A U/N D SD 3. Prohibiting assault-style weapons would dramatically reduce gun violence deaths and injuries. SA A U/N D SD 4. Mental illness is a large underlying factor that drives individuals to commit mass shootings. SA A U/N D SD 5. If all states had militias/state defense forces, they could prevent tyranny of the federal government. SA A U/N D SD 6. Violence must be viewed as a public health problem and researched by the CDC using federal funding. SA A U/N D SD 7. Background checks, prior to gun purchases, would prevent future mass shootings. SA A U/N D SD 8. The 2nd Amendment could be modified to clarify which clause should dominate in law. SA A U/N D SD 9. The current list of persons who may not possess firearms is appropriate and sufficient for safety. SA A U/N D SD 10. Fear is the primary motivation underlying gun-control advocates’ keen desire to increase restrictions. SA A U/N D SD 11. “Liberty for all” means that gun rights may not be infringed upon by the federal government. SA A U/N D SD 12. A buyback strategy would result in large-scale gun relinquishment by lawful gun owners. SA A U/N D SD 13. Gun owners, who fail to secure firearms that are used in crimes, should be held legally accountable. SA A U/N D SD 14. Claims of “sanctuary” for guns are equally justified as are claims of “sanctuary” for illegal immigrants. SA A U/N D SD 15. Communities must do more to help individuals in crisis and those affected by substance abuse. SA A U/N D SD 16. Public proposals to implement greater gun restrictions stimulates a surge in gun purchases. SA A U/N D SD 17. President Trump has acted on behalf of those who favor more gun restrictions. SA A U/N D SD 18. Changing America’s divisive culture would do more to reduce gun violence than would gun controls. SA A U/N D SD 19. The United States ranks 1st in the world for per capita murder with firearms. SA A U/N D SD 20. The 4th Amendment protects citizens from home searches by government officials looking for prohibited weapons. SA A U/N D SD Activity 2 Gun Safety Reflection Questions Your answers to these questions are simply for your use in the workshop. Please record your initial thoughts to refer to later. You do not need to write in full sentences – quick notes are fine. If you have personal experience or background with a question, please use that to inform your answers. 1. What causes the high levels of violence, including gun violence, in the United States? 2. What actions could the United States take to reduce violence, including gun violence? 3. Bill of Rights protections that affect gun rights include the 2nd Amendment (right to keep and bear arms), the 4th Amendment (right to be secure against unreasonable search & seizure), and the 10th Amendment (powers not delegated to the federal government are reserved to states and the people). Given these protections, would Congress be able to implement significant gun control legislation? Why or why not? 4. Since 1971, some jurisdictions have declared themselves as “sanctuaries” and refused to allow local law enforcement officials to enforce immigration laws. In 2013, some jurisdictions declared themselves as Second Amendment sanctuaries and stated that they will not enforce certain gun control measures. Under what provisions of the Constitution are sanctuary jurisdictions legally permitted to defy federal laws? Are these sanctuaries justified? Why or why not? 5. The 2nd Amendment advises that a militia is “necessary to the security of the free state”, and that “the right of the people to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed.” This Amendment was intended to empower the citizenry to resist tyranny from overreach of the federal government if other checks and balances failed. Given that the “National Guard” is part of the federal government’s Department of Defense, and few states have a true State Defense Force or militia, is it important that citizens are armed? Why or why not? 6. Some people propose that gun owners should be required to get a firearm owner’s license, like a driver’s license. Others suggest that all guns should be registered, like vehicles. These advocates believe that licensing and registration will increase gun safety. Opponents of these plans worry that licensing and registration would create the perfect system for gun confiscation by an overreaching government. They also argue that licensing and registration will have no effect on gun violence. Which position makes the best argument? Why? 7. The clear majority of gun owners are law abiding citizens who use guns for recreation and self-defense. How can their rights be preserved, while preventing criminals and unfit persons from accessing firearms? 8. Statistics show that nearly 70% of active shooting incidents ended in 5 minutes or less, while nearly 40% ended in 2 minutes or less. Citizens who carry guns have stopped active shooters from continuing to kill and injure innocent bystanders in multiple cases. To stop those shooters, the individuals that intervened needed to have their weapons with them. Are laws prohibiting gun owners from carrying their weapons good or bad? Why? 9. Robert Putnam, in Bowling Alone, The Collapse and Revival of American Community, showed how US citizens have become increasingly isolated – disconnected from family, friends, and neighbors. How might a return to social interaction help to reduce violent crime in the United States? Activity 3 Gun Safety Information Presentation Main Issues Essential Question: How can people be protected from gun violence in the United States? 1. Causes of Gun Violence a. Incapacity to Cope with Stress b. Criminal Activity c. Gang/Organized Crime Violence d. Domestic Violence e. Mental Illness f. Substance Abuse g. Political Statements/Hate Crimes h. Terrorism 2. Potential Ways to Reduce Gun Violence and/or Improve Gun Safety a. Change the culture of the United States • Emphasize the common human rights and essential worth of all persons • Emphasize fundamental moral principles and moral courage • Create a national culture of “right relations” between people holding differing views • Emphasize non-violent communication to resolve disputes • Create a culture that values personal responsibility, including gun safety • Encourage communities to facilitate civil debate within the “public square” • Encourage communities to reestablish interpersonal trust through social engagement • Encourage local civic engagement to enhance the quality of communities • Frame violence as a health issue and fund research to find evidence-based solutions • Publicize stress management strategies and available support services • Establish and publicize local, rapid mental health services for persons in crisis • Remove stigma from mental health & substance abuse treatment • Encourage media outlets to balance reporting between positive and negative stories • Encourage and publicize compromises in government interactions & policy decisions • Intersperse the seating of Senators and Representatives in their chambers • Remove lobbyist and PAC funding from political campaigns • Implement term limits for both Chambers of Congress and the Supreme Court • End legal immunity for gun manufacturers (attenuating externalities by indirect regulation) b. Reduce the availability of firearms • Prohibit private firearm ownership from people who already own them o Buyback o Voluntary relinquishment o Confiscation • Enforce private firearm ownership restrictions listed below (18 U.S.C. § 922(d), (g)) o convicted in any court of a crime punishable by imprisonment for a term exceeding one year; o who is a fugitive from justice; o who is an unlawful user of or addicted to any controlled substance (as defined in section 102 of the Controlled Substances Act, codified at 21 U.S.C. § 802); o who has been adjudicated as a mental defective or has been committed to any mental institution; o who is an illegal alien; o who has been discharged from the Armed Forces under dishonorable conditions; o who has renounced his or her United States citizenship; o who is subject to a court order restraining the person from harassing, stalking, or threatening an intimate partner or child of the intimate partner; or o who has been convicted of a misdemeanor crime of domestic violence. • Expand existing firearm ownership restrictions o Juvenile offenders o Violent or firearm-related misdemeanants o Dangerously mentally-ill persons o Alcohol abusers o Persons on terrorist watch lists • Require firearms to be secured, to prevent use by unauthorized persons o Require firearms to be protected by smart technology (biometrics) o Store in a home safe, or in a local armory or firearm club and signed out for use • Provide mechanisms to take firearms from persons in crisis via Extreme Risk Protection Orders authorized by a Court c. Tighten requirements to purchase firearms • Raise the age to purchase any firearms to 21 nationwide • Require background checks for all firearm purchases to overcome gaps in current law • Require mental health reporting into the National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS) system d. Require firearm owners to be licensed e. Require safety instruction and periodic recertification for firearm owners for licensing/renewal f. Limit the types of weapons and/or accessories • Self-loading weapons • Rapid-fire automatic or semi-automatic weapons • High-capacity magazines • Bump stocks and trigger actuators • High-volume ammunition g.