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Wherever y'all are, hither's what you can practise to assistance gun control

2017 is the deadliest yr for mass shootings ever

Over the weekend, 26 people were killed when a man with a history of domestic violence opened fire on a church congregation in the small town of Sunderland Springs, Texas. And equally per tradition, Republican American politicians came armed with thoughts and prayers in lieu of gun control laws and legislation. The President himself even blamed the situation non on i of guns, just of mental wellness, going on to make a "good guy with a gun" argument when asked about whether he intended to exercise anything near the trend of regular mass shootings in his country.

Because the matter is, these tragedies accept go the new normal. In fact, the worst five mass shootings have occurred over the last v years, with the most recent having taken place in Las Vegas a fiddling over a calendar month ago, where 58 people were killed. Which can make y'all feel helpless, especially if yous don't live in America but can recognise this crisis not as 1 confined to the U.s. borders, but equally i indicative of a state in upheaval, helmed past a government that prioritises the power of the NRA over the safety of its own citizens.

And then in the wake of one tragedy and before the next, hither are some means you lot can take activeness fifty-fifty if you may not take admission to American reps or vote.

DONATE MONEY WHERE YOU CAN

Following the shooting in Las Vegas, LA Weekly put together a great list of six gun control organisations yous tin donate to and help keep going: Everytown, Moms Demand Action for Gun Command, The Brady Entrada, Americans For Responsible Solutions, Law Center to Foreclose Gun Violence, and the Coalition to Stop Gun Violence.

And of grade, there are more across the country. So take time to look into which organisation aligns with your own compass and look into where their money's been spent and what they've been able to accomplish with it. And then throw down what you can to help keep the fight going. It may non seem similar much (and it might sound like a cliché), but every little bit helps.

CONTACT YOUR OWN REPRESENTATIVES TO SEE WHERE THEY STAND ON GUN VIOLENCE

If you're American, you know it's time (and has been for years) to contact your congresspeople and senators to ensure they know where you stand on gun control. Specifically that you demand information technology and stricter gun laws, and that they, as politicians elected by y'all fight for information technology and the subsequent safety of American people.

But if y'all're not American, you can contact your reps, besides. You can call and email your MPs, local councillors and politicians and insist they share their own stance on gun control, on how comfortable they feel with increased admission to automated weapons, and how they'd respond to a crunch should one arise. Never underestimate the value of discourse; of engaging in important conversations about what you value, and what y'all demand. Politicians work for you, and if they're policies don't, then yous elect them out.

LEND YOUR SUPPORT TO GROUPS WORKING TO STOP DOMESTIC VIOLENCE

Mass shooters tend have a common denominator: domestic violence. In fact, Every Town recently published the FBI findings that 54 per cent of shooters had exhibited fierce behaviour towards partners or other family unit members, proving how necessary information technology is for us to brainstorm having large conversations nigh domestic violence, about believing victims, and about what we're doing to keep family members safe and help offenders seek the treatment they need.

And we practise that by donating our money (and/or time) to local and national organisations helping survivors of domestic violence, and donating items similar tampons, pads, toothbrushes, deodorant, and annihilation else listed on most shelters' websites.

Plus, we can as well engage our reps (at that place they are again) by asking what they've done and plan on doing in terms of assisting families broken upwardly by domestic violence. Or whether they're quick to downplay incidences of domestic violence compared to actively investing their time and our taxes in bankable rehabilitation programs for offenders. Call up: your politicians piece of work for you, and they're to exist held accountable for cracking, terrible, or mediocre policies.

GIVE YOUR PLATFORM TO SOMEBODY WHO CAN SAY It BETTER

Which doesn't seem similar a big bargain, especially in a climate in which reactions are currency and tragedy tends to launch a race for the most socially-enlightened tweet. Merely the thing is, information technology's not a question of you lot being silenced: if yous're outraged, scared, pitiful, whatever – you take a right to share how you lot experience. Merely you can also lend your platform to someone who tin can combine your outrage or sorrow with valuable political thought.

This is when letting someone who says it better say information technology instead. This is when you share pieces that offer perspectives you might not have gotten through your ain experiences or biases, and when you round up nonprofits or organizations you hadn't heard about before. This is when you share emergency contact information and information coming from the ground up (instead of sharing rumours or hearsay). The value in amplifying the voices of people who are not you cannot exist underestimated. It's what takes u.s. from the repeat bedroom into a space that's conducive to ushering in alter. It's what reminds us our ain experiences are not universal.

Listen AND READ And so Listen AND READ SOME More than

It's easy for some us to recollect we have it figured out. Information technology's piece of cake to sit back and assume that we understand because from our seats outside of the U.Due south, nosotros tin can gleam that gun violence stems from the power of the NRA and the defense force of the 2nd subpoena. But centuries-one-time beliefs are more than the product of a gun-toting, billion-dollar organisation and the words of the Founding Fathers well-nigh 300 years ago. Nosotros need to think about things like collective fear and subsequent fear-mongering, nearly villainizing "others," about the myth of male masculinity. We need to sit and listen to those who know more than near this than us, who write and speak from the perspective of those not making the laws, of those who've been afflicted by gun violence, of those who've participated in information technology and why.

We can't make modify – not hither, not in that location – without listening and educating ourselves. Doing the work includes that of the homework variety, too. And while that might seem pointless in the wake of bigger actions, retrieve that taking the fourth dimension to heed and read and learn could be the armour yous demand to make a difference.

Image via Gays Against Guns