Stop Handgun Violence
Encyclopedia
Stop Handgun Violence is a Boston, Massachusetts
-based 501(c)(3) non-profit organization
that works to reduce and prevent injuries and deaths caused by firearm
s in the United States. The group advocates personal responsibility, public awareness, stronger legislation, increased gun manufacturer responsibility, and strict law enforcement.
Stop Handgun Violence was founded in 1995 by Boston developer John Rosenthal with Michael Kennedy, son of former U.S. attorney general and presidential candidate Robert Kennedy. Rosenthal says that he was inspired to cofound the group when “I learned that 15 kids under 19 died every day in this country from the only consumer product in America that is not regulated.” Rosenthal, President of the real estate development firm Meredith Management, has a history of social activism. He led protests against nuclear proliferation in the 1970s, launched the non-profit Friends of Boston’s Homeless in the 1980s, founded Stop Handgun Violence in 1995, cofounded Common Sense About Kids and Guns in 1999, and cofounded the American Hunters and Shooters Association
in 2005. Stop Handgun Violence has shown a particular concern with the ease with which firearms can be purchased at gun show
s. It is also concerned about how easily children, the mentally ill, felons, and potential terrorists can gain access to firearms.
ad agency in Boston, have held messages such as “You Shoot. Your Family Pays” and a fake ransom demand, “We Have Your President and Congress – NRA.” Other billboards have displayed photos of children who have been killed by gunfire.
and Vermont
, which have lax gun-control laws, do not have high homicide rates. Critics also note that the District of Columbia, which has effectively had a gun ban since 1976, has the highest firearm fatality rate in the nation and that crime has soared unchecked. Stop Handgun Violence points to the fact that Massachusetts, which passed a comprehensive gun law in 1998, has the second lowest firearm fatality rate in the nation, far below neighboring New Hampshire and Vermont. The organization also cites the case of California
, where a 2007 study indicates that the state’s regulation of gun shows has reduced illegal gun purchases.
Critics also charge that Stop Handgun Violence has made selective use of statistics to support its cause.
(NRA), by supporting some restrictions on the ownership and use of firearms. Critics charge that the AHSA is a “wolf in sheep’s clothing” whose aim is to defeat the gun lobby by recruiting hunters, a key NRA constituency. The AHSA counters that the NRA has not done a good job of representing hunters, many of whom welcome the idea of some restrictions in order to reduce gun violence, support law enforcement, conserve public lands, and improve the image of gun owners.
Massachusetts
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. It is bordered by Rhode Island and Connecticut to the south, New York to the west, and Vermont and New Hampshire to the north; at its east lies the Atlantic Ocean. As of the 2010...
-based 501(c)(3) non-profit organization
Non-profit organization
Nonprofit organization is neither a legal nor technical definition but generally refers to an organization that uses surplus revenues to achieve its goals, rather than distributing them as profit or dividends...
that works to reduce and prevent injuries and deaths caused by firearm
Firearm
A firearm is a weapon that launches one, or many, projectile at high velocity through confined burning of a propellant. This subsonic burning process is technically known as deflagration, as opposed to supersonic combustion known as a detonation. In older firearms, the propellant was typically...
s in the United States. The group advocates personal responsibility, public awareness, stronger legislation, increased gun manufacturer responsibility, and strict law enforcement.
Stop Handgun Violence was founded in 1995 by Boston developer John Rosenthal with Michael Kennedy, son of former U.S. attorney general and presidential candidate Robert Kennedy. Rosenthal says that he was inspired to cofound the group when “I learned that 15 kids under 19 died every day in this country from the only consumer product in America that is not regulated.” Rosenthal, President of the real estate development firm Meredith Management, has a history of social activism. He led protests against nuclear proliferation in the 1970s, launched the non-profit Friends of Boston’s Homeless in the 1980s, founded Stop Handgun Violence in 1995, cofounded Common Sense About Kids and Guns in 1999, and cofounded the American Hunters and Shooters Association
American Hunters and Shooters Association
The American Hunters and Shooters Association , founded in 2005, was a small United States-based group, which has set itself apart from the much larger gun owner organization, the National Rifle Association, founded in 1871, by advocating further restrictions on 2nd Amendment rights...
in 2005. Stop Handgun Violence has shown a particular concern with the ease with which firearms can be purchased at gun show
Gun show
A gun show is a temporary exhibition or gathering in the United States where firearms, firearm accessories, ammunition, literature, knives, jerky, militaria, and miscellaneous collectibles are displayed, bought, sold, traded, and discussed. Gun shows also often include exhibitions related to...
s. It is also concerned about how easily children, the mentally ill, felons, and potential terrorists can gain access to firearms.
Public awareness
Stop Handgun Violence has implemented several media and public awareness campaigns, the centerpiece of which is America’s largest billboard, located on the Massachusetts Turnpike adjacent to Fenway Park in Boston. In 2008, the 252-foot billboard, which Rosenthal owns, displayed the message “We Sell Guns! Criminals and Terrorists Welcome, No ID or Background Check Required,” an ironic reference to the ease of buying firearms at gun shows. Previous displays, many designed by the Modernista!Modernista!
Modernista! was a creative and communications agency based in Boston, Massachusetts. The agency represented Sears, Showtime,Product , the National Park Foundation, Nickelodeon, Food Should Taste Good, Chug, Sophos, Jack Wills, Boulder Digital Works, Doc to Dock, Stop Handgun Violence, and the Art...
ad agency in Boston, have held messages such as “You Shoot. Your Family Pays” and a fake ransom demand, “We Have Your President and Congress – NRA.” Other billboards have displayed photos of children who have been killed by gunfire.
Controversy
Critics of Stop Handgun Violence contend that there is no correlation between strict gun laws and regulations and reduced firearm fatality rates. As an example, they point out that New HampshireNew Hampshire
New Hampshire is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. The state was named after the southern English county of Hampshire. It is bordered by Massachusetts to the south, Vermont to the west, Maine and the Atlantic Ocean to the east, and the Canadian...
and Vermont
Vermont
Vermont is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. The state ranks 43rd in land area, , and 45th in total area. Its population according to the 2010 census, 630,337, is the second smallest in the country, larger only than Wyoming. It is the only New England...
, which have lax gun-control laws, do not have high homicide rates. Critics also note that the District of Columbia, which has effectively had a gun ban since 1976, has the highest firearm fatality rate in the nation and that crime has soared unchecked. Stop Handgun Violence points to the fact that Massachusetts, which passed a comprehensive gun law in 1998, has the second lowest firearm fatality rate in the nation, far below neighboring New Hampshire and Vermont. The organization also cites the case of California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
, where a 2007 study indicates that the state’s regulation of gun shows has reduced illegal gun purchases.
Critics also charge that Stop Handgun Violence has made selective use of statistics to support its cause.
Related activities of SHV leadership
Stop Handgun Violence founder John Rosenthal is also a founding member and president of the American Hunters and Shooters Association (AHSA), an advocacy group that sets itself apart from the much larger gun owner organization, the National Rifle AssociationNational Rifle Association
The National Rifle Association of America is an American non-profit 501 civil rights organization which advocates for the protection of the Second Amendment of the United States Bill of Rights and the promotion of firearm ownership rights as well as marksmanship, firearm safety, and the protection...
(NRA), by supporting some restrictions on the ownership and use of firearms. Critics charge that the AHSA is a “wolf in sheep’s clothing” whose aim is to defeat the gun lobby by recruiting hunters, a key NRA constituency. The AHSA counters that the NRA has not done a good job of representing hunters, many of whom welcome the idea of some restrictions in order to reduce gun violence, support law enforcement, conserve public lands, and improve the image of gun owners.
See also
- Brady CampaignBrady CampaignThe Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence and the Brady Center to Prevent Gun Violence are affiliated non-profit organizations in the United States. They are named after James Brady who was permanently disabled as a result of an assassination attempt on U.S. President Ronald Reagan in 1981...
- Coalition to Stop Gun ViolenceCoalition to Stop Gun ViolenceThe Coalition to Stop Gun Violence , and the Educational Fund to Stop Gun Violence , its sister organization, are two parts of a national, non-profit gun control advocacy organization.-History:...
- Joyce FoundationJoyce FoundationThe Joyce Foundation is a charitable foundation based in Chicago in the United States and operating principally in the Great Lakes region.The Foundation primarily funds organizations in the Great Lakes region .-Programs:* Education: Focuses on public schools in Chicago, Cleveland, and Milwaukee;...
- Legal Community Against ViolenceLegal Community Against ViolenceLegal Community Against Violence is a national public interest law center dedicated to preventing gun violence. LCAV provides legal assistance to elected officials, government attorneys and activists across the United States to promote effective, legally defensible laws and policies to reduce gun...
- Mayors Against Illegal Guns
- Violence Policy CenterViolence Policy CenterThe Violence Policy Center is a national 501 organization working to prohibit gun ownership in the United States, especially in relation to gun politics...