Gun violence occurs in every town throughout the United States. I am only tracking the mass shootings in the United States, but if I were to track every death or injury due to gun violence, the scarf would measure over 700 feet in length for a single year.
Mass shootings are a small part of the bigger issue. Homicides, murders, unintentional gun deaths, domestic violence, defensive use, and suicides also make up the total number of deaths by guns in the United States. Having a weapon easily accessible in a household, regardless of how many rounds it can fire in a minute, allows people to make split-second decisions they otherwise might not make. I am here to advocate for gun reform at its strictest.
To learn more about gun violence and the effects it has on your neighbors, please visit the various sources linked below. Learning is the number one way to help. Educate yourself, and then educate others.
There are also various non-profits and charities linked below that are dedicated to ending gun violence as well. I am not accepting any monetary payments or donations for this project, so if you feel compelled to contribute, please research these charities and donate to the non-profit that most aligns with your beliefs/values.
The statistics that I use for the scarf, as well as all other incident reports (with sources cited) can be found through the Gun Violence Archive: https://www.gunviolencearchive.org/
"Tackling US gun violence as a public health crisis. Will it help?": https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cjqqelzgq17o
A link to the report referenced in the BBC article linked previous: https://www.hhs.gov/sites/default/files/firearm-violence-advisory.pdf
How gun violence impacts the healthcare system: https://www.commonwealthfund.org/publications/2023/apr/health-costs-gun-violence-how-us-compares-other-countries
How the United States compares to the rest of the world in terms of gun violence: https://www.npr.org/sections/goatsandsoda/2023/10/31/1209683893/how-the-u-s-gun-violence-death-rate-compares-with-the-rest-of-the-world
This source is slightly outdated but still relevant and necessary to review: https://vpc.org/regulating-the-gun-industry/gun-deaths-compared-to-motor-vehicle-deaths/
The Sandy Hook Promise: https://www.sandyhookpromise.org/
Victims First: https://www.victimsfirst.org/
Everytown for Gun Safety: https://www.everytown.org/about-everytown/
Teachers Unify to End Gun Violence: https://www.teachersunify.org/about