SJ Engage: Gun Violence in the United States

"Our levels of gun violence are off the charts. There's no advanced, developed country on Earth that would put up with this."

- President Barack Obama

Sandy Hook Elementary.

Parkland, Florida.

Santa Fe High School.

Gun violence is on the rise and today's young people are not going to tolerate it. Spurned by youth-led events such as March for Our Lives, today's teens have done school walk-outs and protested outside City Hall for stricter gun laws. We have the resources to provide you with more information and to let your voice be heard just a little louder.

Ready to get started? Click on the button below!

Organizations

• Everytown for Gun Safety – A national organization dedicated to ending gun violence and building safer communities.
• Brady Campaign to End Gun Violence – A national organization whose mission is to create a safer America by cutting gun deaths in half by 2025.
• 7 Anti-Gun Violence Groups All Led By Young People – A Youth Radio listing of youth-led gun reform groups.

Action

• First-Ever Firearms and Safety Summit in San Jose
• #NeverAgain Has Become a Game — Literally

Information

• Pew Research Center - Gun Policy – The latest Pew Research Center data and reports on issues and attitudes toward gun control and related policies.
• The New York Times - Gun Control – News about guns and gun control, including commentary and archival articles published in The New York Times.
• The Gun Violence Archive – A not for profit corporation formed in 2013 to provide free online public access to accurate information about gun-related violence in the United States.

For Educators

This toolkit is just a framework for facilitating an SJ Engage Circle.

Sample Discussion Questions

1. How do you feel about what you know and have heard about gun violence and mass shootings? What else do you want to know?
2. Do you know people who have different opinions on gun violence? What do they say and how does this influence (or not) your point of view?
3. What do you think should be done to keep people safe from gun violence?
4. Why do you think so many people feel it is important to protect people's right to own guns?
5. Why do you think there are so many more mass shootings than there used to be?
6. How is the NRA successful in making their case that guns should not be regulated more than they already are?
7. Why do you think Congress hasn't been able to pass legislation to try to prevent mass shootings?

Competencies

Common Core: ELA Writing

• CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.11-12.9 – Draw evidence from literary or informational texts to support analysis, reflection, and research.

Teaching Tolerance Social Justice Standards: Action

• AC.9-12.17 – I take responsibility for standing up to exclusion, prejudice, and injustice.

Questions?

Email teenhq@sjlibrary.org or visit sjpl.org/sjengage for more information.

Sponsor

This project has been made possible in part by a grant from Silicon Valley Community Foundation.