Reflections two weeks after the election

After two decades working in the movement to stop gun violence, I know that progress isn’t linear, and rarely comes easily.

In the next several years, Congress and the White House are poised to erase some, if not most, of the federal progress that's been made in the last decade on guns. At the same time,? the Supreme Court could derail many hard-won state gun violence prevention measures.

In this environment, it’s not enough to play defense – we need strategies that are independent of the whims of Congress or the outcome of any election.?

It’s clear that people are worried about their safety. Some are even weighing gun ownership as an antidote to their fears of their neighbors, their government, or other perceived or actual threats.

But we cannot allow more guns to be the answer. Guns make us less safe. The American arms race has to stop.

At Project Unloaded, we are working with that goal in mind. By reaching young people before they’ve made up their minds on guns, we can inspire the next generation of young leaders to make their neighborhoods safer and encourage their peers to decide against guns – and, over time, uproot gun culture.?

Thank you for helping us write a different story about guns.

Nina Vinik

PS. Did you see the essay our Youth Council co-chair, Lily Lee-Sin, penned for Teen Vogue on why no one, presidential candidates included, should be bragging about their Glock? Read her courageous piece here.