The Next Steps
In most public-policy debates, advocates conduct thorough research,
develop a flexible framework to solve problems and then battle to achieve, one
step at a time, the politically feasible components. In addition, advocates routinely
develop working coalitions of individuals and organizations that share their
concerns or are affected by their issues. To its long-term detriment, the gun-control movement has failed to replicate this successful strategy.
Implementation of the regulatory approach outlined in this study requires that
those dedicated to reducing firearms violence reassess their own understanding of
the issue and dramatically reorient the way it has been presented to the general
public. The first steps include:
- Establishing a long-term public-education media campaign to change the
public's perception of gun violence. It must be understood that crime is merely the
most recognized aspect of the public-health problem posed by firearms. The
campaign should also be designed to educate citizens about the risks associated
with firearms ownership.
- Support for new and ongoing research into firearms violence, its causes
and effects and the economic costs associated with it.
- Recruitment of individuals and organizations not traditionally involved in
the debate. Gun-control organizations must reach out to build active, long-term
coalitions with organizations whose constituencies are affected by firearms
violence, including women's groups, youth organizations, civil-rights organizations,
consumer organizations and public-health associations. Support should also be
sought from those with economic interests in reducing firearms violence, such as
the insurance industry, hospital associations and criminal-justice associations.
It is fortuitous that the end of the battle over the Brady bill coincides with a
new administration that supports the idea of gun control. The citizens of the
United States now have a fresh opportunity to reshape the debate, abandoning the
tired cliches and dictums that have dominated it to date. This study is written not
in the naive expectation that its recommendations will be quickly or even wholly
adopted but in the belief that it offers the last, best hope to reduce firearms
violence in America.
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