According to the nonpartisan group Everytown for Gun Safety, 1,372 people die by guns in Missouri in an average year, and the state has the seventh highest rate of gun deaths in the U.S. But a local nonpartisan group is working to lower the number of deaths by gun.
Moms Demand Action Springfield/SW MO was formed in 2016, but the national group, Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America, was formed in 2012 after the mass shooting in Newtown, Connecticut that left 20 children and six adults dead.
The local organization has around 30 active members. Member Jean Knapp said they advocate for stricter gun laws, and they host local events such as a neighborhood cleanup each spring in partnership with the Grant Beach Neighborhood Association.
“And the reason we’ve done this is because there exists good data that cleanups and sprucing up can really decrease crime in a neighborhood, including gun crime,” Knapp said.
Members of Moms Demand Action’s arm, Be Smart for Kids, works to educate people about secure gun storage. The SMART acronym stands for “secure all firearms in your home and vehicle, model responsible behavior around firearms, ask about the presence of unsecured firearms in other homes, recognize the role of firearms in suicide and tell your peers to be S-M-A-R-T.”
“We table at family friendly events. We hand out free gun cable locks," Knapp said, "and we visit with parents and others about how securing guns is the best way to keep our kids safe at home and in our cars and at school.”
The group goes to Jefferson City during the legislative session each year for Advocacy Day to meet with both Republicans and Democrats.
“We meet with all of them," Knapp said, "and first we talk about what Moms is and isn't. We're not — we don't hate guns. We hate gun violence, and that's what we talk to them about and policies that have shown to help. And we haven't had a lot of movement in new laws that reflect these helpful policies, but we, along with a lot of other partners, we feel we have stymied the loosening of our gun laws for the past few years."
And as the November General Election nears, Moms Demand Action is working to educate voters about what they call “Gun Sense” candidates. According to Everytown for Gun Safety, those are candidates that have demonstrated they will support stronger gun laws and advocate for safer communities if they are elected.
“We feel like if the legislature is not practicing representative democracy — because most Missourians want better safety from guns — then we need to vote them out and vote in candidates who do have gun safety as a priority," Knapp said.
You can find out which candidates have been given the Gun Sense designation at gunsensevoter.org.
KSMU Public Affairs Reporter Gregory Holman conducted the interview with Jean Knapp.
