In an essay for U.S. News & World Report, Gabby Giffords ’93 shared her perspective on the US Surgeon General recently declaring gun violence as a national public health crisis.
After surviving a mass shooting in 2011 that took the lives of six people and wounded 13, former Congresswoman Giffords has used her voice to become an ardent advocate for firearm legislative reform. In the essay, she details the financial and human toll of escalating gun violence throughout the country and counsels the government to act, writing:
“Lawmakers can—and must—increase financial support for community violence intervention programs and close loopholes that allow bad actors easy access to guns. Elected officials at all levels of government must stand up to the gun industry’s efforts to conceal science and research, and demand additional transparency and resources to address gun violence.”