🔗 Share this article ‘The Time Has Come’: Gun-Safety Advocates Surf a ‘Seismic’ Wave into American Statehouses. A fresh wave of young elected officials is gaining power across the nation by leveraging their firsthand encounters with gun violence to push for reforms they contend the public is ready for. Their ascent signifies a multi-year shift. Firearms safety has moved from a third-rail issue rarely spoken about on campaign trails to a central platform that candidates, mostly Democrats, are now campaigning on successfully. Widespread Fatigue Fuels the Shift This evolution is fueled in part by a national weariness with gun violence, including mass shootings – like tragedies at a Rhode Island university and a Sydney beach – as well as gun-related suicides and street violence, which continue to tear apart countless American lives. “This is a problem that has impacted my life,” said a Tennessee state representative. “Serving as a state representative and witnessing a lack of action, while remembering the impact in my community, that compelled me to say this is an issue we must prioritize.” The day he was took office was also the most lethal attack in the state’s history, when six individuals were murdered at a Covenant private school. From Protest to Prominence Days later, he and two other fellow legislators staged a demonstration on the house floor to demand stronger gun policy. Pearson and his colleague were removed from office for their protest, an act that catapulted them to widespread recognition. They later reclaimed their seats. Months later, his sibling died of a firearm suicide. This was not his first encounter with tragic death; previously, his guide and a former classmate were also fatally shot in Memphis. Now, Pearson is running for a seat in the US Congress by placing firearms safety at the core of his campaign platform. He emphasizes how it affects the state’s youth, for whom firearms injuries are the primary killer. A Movement Becomes a Pipeline The rise of office-seekers focusing on gun violence is also a result of the growing prevention movement across the country, which has evolved into a pipeline for new candidates. Maxwell Frost, the country’s first Generation Z congressmember, started off as a volunteer with a student-led gun-safety group. Lucy McBath, a Congresswoman, and Abigail Spanberger, a soon-to-be governor, were both volunteers with Moms Demand Action before running for office. Cameron Kasky, a Parkland survivor who helped to organize national marches, has recently announced his own campaign for Congress. “I see myself as a small part of a bigger movement. It’s the driving force I got into politics,” noted the congressman. “I was 15 when Sandy Hook happened and that’s what inspired me to get involved.” A Seismic Shift in Politics Nowadays, challenging gun-rights lobbyists like the National Rifle Association is common among Democratic candidates. But in the recent past, many centrist politicians held high ratings from the organization, and the subject of gun control was considered a political third rail. “It was gradual and full of ups and downs,” said a prominent advocate. “We saw our volunteers running for office and thought it was logical that someone shaping legislation would want to become a lawmaker.” Many point to the 2012 mass shooting and the lack of action in Washington to pass reforms as a turning point. This led once NRA-backed politicians to risk their high ratings to support limits on assault weapons. Now, receiving a poor grade from the NRA is a badge of honor. “After Parkland, zero Democratic members of Congress had an A rating and were proud about it. That’s a dramatic change,” the advocate added. “It dispelled a lot of myths and fears about being proactive on this issue.” From Grieving Parent to Candidate The epidemic of firearms deaths has also mobilized first-time entrants to public service. Shaundelle Brooks lost her son in a Waffle House attack in Nashville. Years later, another son was shot and injured leaving a concert. After years of advocating at the statehouse with little result, she decided to become a candidate herself. “Testifying for seven years and having them just dismiss me, showed me that I needed to do something greater than what I was doing,” she said. “When people see you’re directly affected, they feel that you’re more authentic to talk about this. They know it’s not a partisan game for us,” she added. A New Generation’s Call These shared stories of tragedy connect individuals across the nation, forming what those affected describe as a “group no one wants to join.” “We don’t have a formal network, but we all feel compelled in this time to be a part of the healing,” Pearson said of his fellow advocates. “The world is riddled with seemingly unsolvable issues. We’ve given people generations to solve them. And now, with our the people behind us, the moment is ours.” He argues that addressing gun violence also requires action on common-ground problems like veteran suicides and economic stability, which might find greater support even in Republican-led legislatures. This holistic approach shows that being focused on ending gun violence isn’t just about restrictions, but also about improving the underlying conditions. “We’re not one-dimensional politicians,” he said. “We understand the intersectionality of the harms. It’s not just shootings. It’s economic hardship, environmental issues, deprived communities – these are the places with the most severe rates of violence. We need leaders who have proximity to that reality.” Ultimately, the candidate says inaction at the national level on policies like extreme risk protection orders and waiting periods has deadly outcomes. “Due to this stagnation, people are dying,” he said. “This problem won’t be fixed by repeating old strategies.”
A fresh wave of young elected officials is gaining power across the nation by leveraging their firsthand encounters with gun violence to push for reforms they contend the public is ready for. Their ascent signifies a multi-year shift. Firearms safety has moved from a third-rail issue rarely spoken about on campaign trails to a central platform that candidates, mostly Democrats, are now campaigning on successfully. Widespread Fatigue Fuels the Shift This evolution is fueled in part by a national weariness with gun violence, including mass shootings – like tragedies at a Rhode Island university and a Sydney beach – as well as gun-related suicides and street violence, which continue to tear apart countless American lives. “This is a problem that has impacted my life,” said a Tennessee state representative. “Serving as a state representative and witnessing a lack of action, while remembering the impact in my community, that compelled me to say this is an issue we must prioritize.” The day he was took office was also the most lethal attack in the state’s history, when six individuals were murdered at a Covenant private school. From Protest to Prominence Days later, he and two other fellow legislators staged a demonstration on the house floor to demand stronger gun policy. Pearson and his colleague were removed from office for their protest, an act that catapulted them to widespread recognition. They later reclaimed their seats. Months later, his sibling died of a firearm suicide. This was not his first encounter with tragic death; previously, his guide and a former classmate were also fatally shot in Memphis. Now, Pearson is running for a seat in the US Congress by placing firearms safety at the core of his campaign platform. He emphasizes how it affects the state’s youth, for whom firearms injuries are the primary killer. A Movement Becomes a Pipeline The rise of office-seekers focusing on gun violence is also a result of the growing prevention movement across the country, which has evolved into a pipeline for new candidates. Maxwell Frost, the country’s first Generation Z congressmember, started off as a volunteer with a student-led gun-safety group. Lucy McBath, a Congresswoman, and Abigail Spanberger, a soon-to-be governor, were both volunteers with Moms Demand Action before running for office. Cameron Kasky, a Parkland survivor who helped to organize national marches, has recently announced his own campaign for Congress. “I see myself as a small part of a bigger movement. It’s the driving force I got into politics,” noted the congressman. “I was 15 when Sandy Hook happened and that’s what inspired me to get involved.” A Seismic Shift in Politics Nowadays, challenging gun-rights lobbyists like the National Rifle Association is common among Democratic candidates. But in the recent past, many centrist politicians held high ratings from the organization, and the subject of gun control was considered a political third rail. “It was gradual and full of ups and downs,” said a prominent advocate. “We saw our volunteers running for office and thought it was logical that someone shaping legislation would want to become a lawmaker.” Many point to the 2012 mass shooting and the lack of action in Washington to pass reforms as a turning point. This led once NRA-backed politicians to risk their high ratings to support limits on assault weapons. Now, receiving a poor grade from the NRA is a badge of honor. “After Parkland, zero Democratic members of Congress had an A rating and were proud about it. That’s a dramatic change,” the advocate added. “It dispelled a lot of myths and fears about being proactive on this issue.” From Grieving Parent to Candidate The epidemic of firearms deaths has also mobilized first-time entrants to public service. Shaundelle Brooks lost her son in a Waffle House attack in Nashville. Years later, another son was shot and injured leaving a concert. After years of advocating at the statehouse with little result, she decided to become a candidate herself. “Testifying for seven years and having them just dismiss me, showed me that I needed to do something greater than what I was doing,” she said. “When people see you’re directly affected, they feel that you’re more authentic to talk about this. They know it’s not a partisan game for us,” she added. A New Generation’s Call These shared stories of tragedy connect individuals across the nation, forming what those affected describe as a “group no one wants to join.” “We don’t have a formal network, but we all feel compelled in this time to be a part of the healing,” Pearson said of his fellow advocates. “The world is riddled with seemingly unsolvable issues. We’ve given people generations to solve them. And now, with our the people behind us, the moment is ours.” He argues that addressing gun violence also requires action on common-ground problems like veteran suicides and economic stability, which might find greater support even in Republican-led legislatures. This holistic approach shows that being focused on ending gun violence isn’t just about restrictions, but also about improving the underlying conditions. “We’re not one-dimensional politicians,” he said. “We understand the intersectionality of the harms. It’s not just shootings. It’s economic hardship, environmental issues, deprived communities – these are the places with the most severe rates of violence. We need leaders who have proximity to that reality.” Ultimately, the candidate says inaction at the national level on policies like extreme risk protection orders and waiting periods has deadly outcomes. “Due to this stagnation, people are dying,” he said. “This problem won’t be fixed by repeating old strategies.”