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Column: ‘We are at the threshold of change’ for gun violence, Fountain Square shooting survivor says

Courtesy

After surviving the Sept. 6, 2018, mass shooting at Cincinnati’s Fountain Square building, Whitney Austin cofounded Whitney/Strong with her husband, with the focus of finding common ground to end gun violence through data-driven, responsible gun ownership solutions.

A wife and a mother of two, Whitney resides in Louisville.

For more information regarding Whitney/Strong click here.

Though my body was riddled with bullets, I found hope the moment my eyes locked with Cincinnati Police Officer Al Staples. I had walked into the gunfire of a mass shooting, but Al would be my savior. While the situation was critical, I had hope and faith that the skilled officers and medical professionals surrounding me would find a way to save me. And they did.

Today I find myself in a similar position as the executive director of Whitney/Strong, an organization I co-founded with my husband Waller to end gun violence through common ground and responsible gun ownership solutions. Due to the recent and tragic loss of life in mass shootings across the United States, we are approaching the threshold for change once again. Just as before, when my life hung in the balance, I have hope and faith that this is the moment we cross it.

My husband and I grew up in and still live in the South. We are gun owners. We know that preserving the Second Amendment and reducing gun violence are not mutually exclusive goals. We also know Americans, of both political parties, are highly motivated to see this issue addressed and the trends of death and injury reversed.

However, there is a group of discouraged Americans with a fatalistic viewpoint. They say, “If America didn’t act after the slaughter of 21 innocent first graders, they will never act.” Often those resigned to this belief are the most motivated toward change, but their mind prevents them from transitioning from despair to action.

Change will never come without hope. Hope is the essential catalyst for action. This bears repeating. Hope is the essential catalyst for action.

While I empathize with desperation, I encourage all who have grown to accept an eternal impasse to abandon it.

We have made progress. In December 2019, Whitney/Strong, along with many others, successfully lobbied Congress to once again fund research on gun violence. At the time of appropriation, it had been more than two decades since Congress agreed in this way on this matter. This moment was a signal of hope for future bipartisan efforts, as well as a significant opportunity to help us better understand what interventions could help reduce gun violence.

In Kentucky, where I live, Whitney/Strong has worked with the only bipartisan team of state lawmakers in the country to champion a risk protection law to prevent harm to self or others with a firearm. This legislation is known as Crisis Aversion and Rights Retention, or CARR. CARR provides more tangible proof that bipartisan change is underway, and I am so very proud of the courageous state lawmakers behind it.

Whitney/Strong brings together gun violence survivors, gun owners, and people of all political identities who are motivated to reduce all forms of gun violence. By championing evidence-based solutions that most agree upon, we have seen real progress.

These examples are evidence of hope, but now it’s time for action. Motivated like never before, there is a small group of U.S. Senators working as a bipartisan unit to make a deal on solutions to prevent gun violence. What I tell our volunteers and donors is that it is your responsibility to encourage them to keep going.

There are multiple forces at work attempting to prevent this moment of change. The political forces are real, and Republicans must be rewarded for their courage in this moment. Accordingly, Democrats must not be punished for compromised agreement. Above all else, we must see Congress make a deal and pass life-saving legislation.

If you want to do something, listed below is the bipartisan team and where they can be reached. The most effective tactic for raising your voice is to contact them as a constituent. Ask your friends and family members located in the states listed below to send a hand-written letter. If that cannot be done, send an email. As a last option, call one of their state offices and say, “I support Congress coming together to reduce gun violence in America. Thank you for your efforts to do this. Keep going.”

Do these things repeatedly and encourage your network to do the same. We cannot stop until we cross the threshold together. Our innocent American children are counting on us. Certainly, they are worth our hope and action.

Arizona
Kyrsten Sinema
317 Hart Senate Office Building
Washington, D.C. 20510
202-224-4521

Or send her a message.

Connecticut
Chris Murphy
136 Hart Senate Office Building Washington, D.C. 20510
202-224-4041

Or send him a message.

Richard Blumenthal
706 Hart Senate Office Building
Washington, D.C. 20510
202-224-2823

Or send him a message.

Kentucky
Mitch McConnell
317 Russell Senate Office Building
Washington, D.C., 20510

202-224-2541

Or send him a message.

Louisiana
Bill Cassidy
520 Hart Senate Office Building
Washington, D.C., 20510
202-224-5824

Or send him a message.

Maine
Susan Collins
413 Dirksen Senate Office Building
Washington, D.C. 20510
202-224-2523

Or send her a message.

New York
Chuck Schumer
322 Hart Senate Office Building
Washington, D.C. 20510
202-228-3027

Or send him a message.

Pennsylvania
Patrick Toomey
455 Dirksen Senate Office Building
Washington, D.C., 20510
202-224-4254

Or send him a message.

South Carolina
Lindsey Graham
290 Russell Senate Office Building
Washington, D.C. 20510
202-224-5972

Or send him a message.

West Virgina
Joe Manchin
306 Hart Senate Office Building
Washington, D.C., 20510
202-224-3954

Or send him a message.

Texas
John Cornyn
517 Hart Senate Office Building
Washington, D.C. 20510
202-224-2934

Or send him a message.

After surviving the Sept. 6, 2018, mass shooting at Cincinnati’s Fountain Square building, Whitney Austin cofounded Whitney/Strong with her husband, with the focus of finding common ground to end gun violence through data-driven, responsible gun ownership solutions.