The one choice you can’t afford to make

My other experience was a few years ago. I was headed to Orlando for a convention and had planned to go to Pulse nightclub with friends. One of my friends fell asleep, so we didn’t go. The following day I discovered that 49 people were shot and killed and dozens more wounded.

Just last week, this paper reported on the increase in gun sales in our county. There is no place in the country, no socioeconomic level, no age group, or race immune to this public health crisis. So doing nothing is not an option for anyone. And I want to make clear, I respect the Second Amendment and believe that people have a right to own guns and that it comes with responsibilities. 

There isn’t a single solution that will put an end to this monster we’ve created. But, gun violence is a uniquely American problem, and many common-sense solutions are overwhelmingly accepted, including by gun owners. 

Gun violence restraining orders, or red flag laws, is a legal way to temporarily remove a gun from someone who may harm someone or themselves. But, many folks are unaware that this exists or isn’t enforced. Please, speak up if you think this applies to you. 

Safe storage ordinances reduce unpermitted access to guns in a home, particularly with minors. Teenage gun suicide is on the rise, and limiting access to firearms is critical. Four million homes have guns that aren’t safely stored, and thousands of kids have injured or killed themselves and others when they access their parents’ guns. Unincorporated San Mateo County and many cities have passed safe storage ordinances, but Menlo Park, East Palo Alto, Atherton, Half Moon Bay, Woodside, Brisbane, Daly City and Pacifica have not. 

Assembly Bill 988, introduced by our own Bay Area assemblymembers, including Rebecca Bauer-Kahan, D-Orinda, and Marc Berman, D-Palo Alto, would establish an alternate dispatch unarmed response to those in mental health emergencies. This bill would require “crisis teams to respond to any individual in need of immediate suicidal or behavioral health crisis intervention” instead of an armed officer. Police violence many times is also gun violence. In 2021 alone, there have been more than 1,000 deadly police shootings. 

Banning “ghost guns” is another way. Domestic abusers and felons, which are not legally allowed to own guns, can circumvent the law and construct a firearm. Most of us just want responsible gun ownership, and possession of a ghost gun is hardly responsible. Catherine Stefani, San Francisco Moms Demand Action volunteer turned San Francisco board supervisor, is working on changing this.

Local gun violence intervention groups are proven to be one of the most effective ways of reducing gun violence. I applaud Gov. Newsom for apportioning $200 million to the California Violence and Intervention Program — he has been the top gun-sense governor California has ever seen. Several local violence reduction programs have had significant success in reducing gun violence, and CalVIP is an essential funding source. CalVIP enables these programs to sustain life-saving work. 

If you want to reduce gun violence, one of the best things you can do is reach out to a local gun violence prevention group — your voice makes a difference. You can help by donating or giving as little or as much time as you want. I’m lucky to volunteer for Moms Demand Action (not only for moms) in the Peninsula. If you’re interested in learning more, text ‘READY’ to 644-33, and you’ll be connected with a local group. There are other local groups, like Giffords and Brady. 

Not doing anything about gun violence is the one choice you can’t afford to make. 

Rudy Espinoza Murray is a Redwood City resident and community organizer on housing, gun violence prevention, LGBTQ+ and LatinX issues. He is a co-founder and lead of the San Mateo County Farmworker Affairs Coalition.