Ari Freilich is the staff attorney and California Legislative Affairs Director at the Giffords Center to Prevent Gun Violence and he joins us this week to talk about, well, guns, gun violence, and preventing gun violence.
The Giffords Center was founded by former U.S. Representative Gabby Giffords after she and 18 others were shot at a constituent event in a supermarket parking lot in Tucson, AZ.
And whether or not you believe guns kill people or people kill people, Freilich takes us down memory lane as he explains how the 2nd Amendment has evolved from “a well-regulated militia” to something more like “assault weapons for all.”
He also highlights the role of guns in today’s escalating rates of suicide. Most gun-related deaths today are the result of suicide, not homicide. The rising rate of gun-related deaths has also contributed to a drop in life-expectancy for Americans. So why aren’t we considering this a public health crisis?
Don’t worry though. It’s not all sad. We end on a positive note as Freilich discusses policy steps that can be taken at the state level to reduce gun violence. So let’s dive in!