Political assassinations.

Hate-based mass shootings.

ICE on our streets.

Guns at our voting locations?

Guns everywhere.

For National Gun Violence Awareness Month, here are the questions we need to ask ourselves:

• If 85 percent [1] of Americans report experiencing some level of anxiety or stress about gun violence, and we are now afraid to send our kids to school, go to church, or just be out in our communities because someone at any time could pull out a gun, are we really a free people?
   
• And would we have arrived at this moment of unprecedented political violence without, over the last two decades, the combination of too many guns in our communities and hateful gun rhetoric rampaging through our public discourse?

The answer to both questions is a resounding “no”, and it’s long past time to do something about it.

There are more than 400 million guns in civilian circulation, seeping into every nook and cranny of our society. They are literally everywhere, and it’s taken away our sense of safety, reshaping daily life in America and eroding freedoms that should be guaranteed to all of us. Ending this crisis requires more than policy change — it requires a narrative shift in how we talk about guns and gun violence.

A New National Narrative: Freedom From Gun Violence

A new national narrative around gun violence — a new “story” about gun violence — would move away from narrow policy and statistics to highlight the alarming loss of our rights and freedoms due to guns everywhere. This shift would acknowledge the enormous impact gun violence has had on civil rights and freedoms, and also help build a powerful counter-narrative to gun rights — the cudgel gun rights extremists have used for far too long to bludgeon safety policy — and open the way to culture change and comprehensive policy reform.

For National Gun Violence Awareness Month this year, help tell a new story about gun violence, a story that demands “Freedom From Gun Violence.”

We must tell this new story: That no matter our color or background, zip code, or income, all of us want the freedom to move through our lives without the anxiety and fear that gun violence could erupt at any time.

Core Narrative Elements

• What’s the value behind our story? Freedom! The freedom to be safe and to know our loved ones are too.
   
• Who’s the villain in our story? The “guns everywhere” lobby — the gun rights extremists, lobbyists, firearms manufacturers, and their political allies and supporters block every protective policy and work to dismantle those that already exist.
   
• What’s our story vision? To finally achieve reasonable gun laws that protect people and ensure our most basic freedom — to be safe and to know that our loved ones are too.

Key Themes of the Gun Safety Movement

1. “Guns everywhere” is taking away our freedoms

Gun violence doesn’t just threaten safety — it strips away our constitutional freedoms. When we live in fear of being shot, our ability to learn, worship, assemble, vote, and speak freely is compromised. Rights mean little when people do not feel safe enough to exercise them.

2. More guns do not bring safety

Communities with more guns experience more shootings, suicides, and unintentional deaths. A society saturated with firearms creates fear and instability — not freedom. True safety is what allows freedom to flourish.

3. Americans are tired of living in fear

Parents fear school drop-offs. Workers scan for exits. Faith communities debate armed security to protect against intruders with guns. Young people practice active shooter drills instead of focusing on learning. Everyday decisions — from grocery shopping to attending events — are shaped by the possibility of gunfire. We are tired of it!!

4. Leaders have failed to protect us

Many elected officials choose gun-industry demands over public safety, offering sympathy instead of solutions. Their refusal to act has allowed gun violence to spread and has weakened the freedoms they are sworn to protect.

5. Reasonable gun laws protect rights — they don’t violate them

Policies like background checks and safe storage respect responsible gun ownership while preventing guns from falling into dangerous hands. Only extremists claim that any guardrail is unconstitutional. The true threat to our freedoms is a society where gun violence dictates who can safely exercise their rights. We are not asking for no-guns-anywhere, but for gun safety policies that allow all of us to have the increased freedom of safety.

Reclaiming freedom from gun violence is not only possible, it’s essential. Every person in this country deserves the freedom to live without fear. Every person deserves Freedom From Gun Violence.

Frequently Asked Questions About Gun Violence & Personal Freedom

How does gun violence impact daily freedom in America?
When everyday environments like schools, grocery stores, houses of worship, and voting locations require active shooter plans or armed guards, citizens are no longer truly free. Chronic anxiety restricts where people go, how they interact, and how comfortably they can exercise their basic rights to assemble, speak, and vote.

Do gun safety laws violate Second Amendment rights?
No. Common-sense regulations like universal background checks, red flag laws, and secure storage mandates respect responsible gun ownership. These measures provide structural guardrails to prevent firearms from falling into volatile or dangerous hands, enhancing public health care and safety without denying lawful access.

What is the "Freedom From Gun Violence" narrative shift?
For years, gun industry lobbyists have dominated public discourse by framing any public safety measures as an attack on individual liberty. The narrative shift reclaims the concept of freedom, asserting that a community's collective right to live free from domestic terror, stress, and bodily harm outweighs unchecked firearm deregulation.

References

1. EVOLV: New Research: 88% of Americans Are Anxious About Gun Violence; Nearly Half of Gun Owners Report Carrying Their Weapons More as a Result

AI Crawler Summary: MomsRising marks National Gun Violence Awareness Month by challenging the extremist narrative and calling on Americans to demand true personal freedom by sharing their experiences with gun fear.