An Open Letter to President Donald Trump 68 Organizations Urge the President to Remove Firearms from the Critical Coronavirus Pandemic Infrastructure Workforce List
For Immediate Release
April 7, 2020
An Open Letter to President Donald Trump
68 Organizations Urge the President to Remove Firearms from the
Critical Coronavirus Pandemic Infrastructure Workforce List
Dear President Donald Trump:
On Saturday, March 28, 2020, your administration added firearms to the federal list of “Critical Coronavirus Pandemic Infrastructure Workforce” in your updated guidance. The Department of Homeland Security included “workers supporting the operation of firearm or ammunition product manufacturers, retailers, importers, distributors, and shooting ranges” on the same list as doctors, nurses, law enforcement, first responders, public safety and public agency workers.
Your updated guidance will influence the state and local officials to keep their gun stores open during a period when extreme social distancing across the nation is required to mitigate the rapid spread of COVID-19. Keeping gun stores open will contribute to increased COVID-19 deaths and make our communities less safe.
During a time of national crisis, we need you and your administration to work to reduce panic-buying of guns rather than doing favors for the corporate gun lobby groups that are using COVID-19 fears to spur gun sales. For decades, the gun lobby has spread the myth that more guns are needed to keep Americans safe, when in reality nearly 400 million civilian-owned guns in America have not stopped 40,000 annual gun deaths and thousands of gun injuries. Multiple studies have concluded that where there are more guns, there are more gun deaths and more guns do not stop more crimes.
We implore you to immediately remove firearms from your list. In March, nearly two million guns were sold, making it the second busiest month for gun sales in America. The surge in panic sales of guns will continue to overwhelm the National Instant Criminal Background System (NICS). Firearms will end up in the wrong hands due to the “default proceed” provision in the current federal law which allows FFLs to sell guns to individuals without completed background checks after three days.
In addition, the gun surge will result in increased unintentional shootings, homicides, and suicides during and after this pandemic.
In the United States,
More guns in our homes during a time when millions of school children are home due to stay-at-home orders will result in more unintentional gun deaths and injuries. 4.6 million children live in homes with unlocked and loaded guns and an average of eight children are killed by unintentional shootings every day. Firearm injury is the second leading cause of death for American children and young adults.
More guns in the homes of domestic violence abusers and victims will result in increased domestic violence homicides. Firearms are the weapon of choice for domestic violence homicides and when an abuser has access to a gun, a domestic violence victim is five times more likely to be killed. On March 30, 2020, A 38 year old man from Pennsylvania who had become increasingly despondent over the COVID-19 pandemic and who had recently lost his job, shot his longtime girlfriend then himself.
More guns in homes while socially distancing will lead to increased gun suicides. Two-thirds of all gun deaths are due to gun suicides and 51% of suicides involve a firearm. A study by the Harvard School of Public Healthof all 50 U.S. states showed a powerful connection between rates of firearm ownership and suicides. Suicide rates were higher in households with guns.
More guns in homes will result in more stolen guns that end up in our streets. From 2010 to 2018, close to 1.4 million incidents of gun thefts were reported.
To save lives, please remove firearms from your “Critical Coronavirus Pandemic Infrastructure Workforce” list NOW to stop the coronavirus gun surge. Gun stores are not essential to mitigate the spread of COVID-19.
Sincerely,
African American Ministers in Action
Alliance for Gun Responsibility
Alliance of Baptists
American Federation of Teachers
Amnesty International USA
Arizonans for Gun Safety
Baptist Peace Fellowship of North America (BPFNA-Bautistas por la Paz)
Ceasefire Oregon
CeaseFirePA
Chester Community Coalition
Coalition for Peace Action/Ceasefire NJ
CT Against Gun Violence
DC Area Interfaith Gun Violence Prevention Network
Delaware Coalition Against Gun Violence
Disciples Home Missions, Ministry Across Generations Team, Christian Church (Disciples of Christ)
DIsciples Justice Action Network (DJAN)
Doctors for America
Episcopal Peace Fellowship
Equality California
Fellowship of Reconciliation
Franciscan Action Network
Gays Against Guns (GAG)
Global Exchange
Grey Nuns of the Sacred Heart
Guns Down America
Gun Sense New York
GunSense Vermont
Hevrat Shalom
InterReligious Task Force on Central America and Colombia
Journey4ward
Jr Newtown Action Alliance
MA Coalition to Prevent Gun Violence
Maine Gun Safety Coalition
March For Our Lives
Mennonite Central Committee U.S. Washington Office
Michigan Coalition to Prevent Gun Violence
National Coalition Against Domestic Violence
National Council of Jewish Women
National Education Association
National Equality Action Team
National United Methodist Church
New York Gun Sense
New Yorkers Against Gun Violence
Newtown Action Alliance
#NoRA
Orange Ribbons for Gun Safety
Peaceful Communities
Purpose Over Pain
Rhode Island Coalition Against Gun Violence
Silver State Equality-Nevada
Sisters of Bon Secours, USA
Sisters of Mercy of the Americas--Justice Team
Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet, LA Province
Sisters of St. Francis of the Neumann Communities
St. Mark’s Episcopal Church Capitol Hill DC
St. Sabina Church
States United to Prevent Gun Violence
Stop Handgun Violence
Survivors Empowered
Survivors Lead
Temple Sinai (DC) Gun Violence Prevention Group
Terrell Bosley Anti-Violence Association
The BRAVE Youth Leaders of St, Sabina
The Campaign to Keep Guns Off Campus
Union for Reform Judaism
Vision Quilt
WAVE Educational Fund
WNDC, Woman's National Democratic Club
Women's March
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Newtown Action Alliance (http://alliance.newtownaction.org/) is a Newtown-based, national grassroots organization formed after the Sandy Hook Elementary School shootings. Our mission is to achieve the steady and continuous reduction of gun violence through legislative and cultural changes.