As we mourn another senseless and horrifying act of violence in our country, we hold space for and send love to the families of those in Uvalde, in Orange County, in Buffalo and in countless other communities across the country filled with those grieving the loss of a child, a parent, a friend, a neighbor. It is not lost on us that the victims of gun violence are too often mothers, grandmothers, parents, caregivers, victims of intimate partner violence — and disproportionately women of color, members of the LGBTQ+ community, and people with disabilities. We cannot overlook the role of white supremacy in these targeted acts of violence, with just these most recent mass shootings occurring at a supermarket in a primarily Black community, a Taiwanese church, and a school in a Latinx community.
Our mission is to advance opportunity and equality for New Hampshire women and girls. Opportunity requires access to a life free from violence. How can women, mothers, aunts, sisters and grandmothers thrive when they are grieving the children lost in senseless violence, when they never know when a child or loved one leaves home to go to school, to the movies, to worship, to the grocery store, or for a walk in the park, if they will return?
New Hampshire has the 41st-highest rate of gun deaths in the US. In New Hampshire, the rate of gun deaths has increased 39% from 2011 to 2020, compared to a 33% increase nationwide. This means that in 2020 there were 36 more gun deaths than in 2011. In New Hampshire, the rate of gun suicide increased 61% from 2011 to 2020, compared to a 12% change nationwide. *
Gun safety is a public health issue, and we join national calls for action, including:
- Demanding that our elected officials represent the overwhelming majority of Americans of all parties who support common-sense gun safety measures.
- Supporting Students Demand Action and the leadership of girls like 16-year-old Maddie Ahmadi of Burlington, Vermont, an organizer and National Advisory Board member of Students Demand Action — calling for #MoreThanThoughtsAndPrayers and advocating for student-led national walkout today, May 26th at noon: https://studentsdemandaction.org/report/walkout-activation-toolkit/
- Joining Moms Demand Action to honor survivors of gun violence and #WearOrange June 3–5 to mark National Gun Violence Awareness Day and Wear Orange Weekend
We will mourn. We will honor the memory of those lost. And for those of us left behind, we will keep fighting for the policy and action required for opportunity and equality to be within reach for us all.
For more information on gun safety laws in New Hampshire, visit this resource from Everytown for Gun Safety: https://everytownresearch.org/rankings/state/new-hampshire/
Finally, if you or anyone you know is experiencing a mental health crisis, here are some resources from NAMI-NH to use and share: https://www.naminh.org/resources-2/crisis-lines/
* Source: https://everystat.org/#NewHampshire
