Dear Fellow Activists,
Information has real-life consequences. When it is fact based, it is literally a life-saver. But the opposite is also true. Misinformation and disinformation can cause great harm.
We’ve all heard the Big Lie as it refers to the 2020 election, the upcoming midterms, and election deniers. But there is another Big Lie that also continues to spread and cause great risk to us all.
That Big Lie is “Guns make you safer.”
Despite all the scientific proof that it is not true, the “Guns make you safer” Big Lie continues to grow and endanger our children, our families, and our communities.
➤ WHAT IS MISINFORMATION?
Misinformation is false information that is spread regardless of the intent to mislead. Sometimes people hear or read information, believe it to be true, and pass it on. Sometimes people don’t accurately remember what they heard or read. The important thing is that there is no deliberate attempt to mislead and spread false information around.
➤ WHAT IS DISINFORMATION?
Disinformation is different! With disinformation, there is the deliberate spreading of misinformation — usually for gain.
➤ WHERE DID THE BIG LIE COME FROM?
Many people who are sharing the lie — that guns make you safer — really believe it to be true. They may be afraid in their homes and truly believe that having a firearm will make them safer. They may share this belief with others. That’s misinformation.
But where did the Big Lie start? It started with and continues with the marketing efforts by gun manufacturers and their advertising arm, the National Rifle Association. The goal is to sell more firearms and to make more [blood] money. To accomplish that goal they use fear and the Big Lie.
They know it’s not true. They don’t care. They have something to gain. That’s disinformation.
➤ KNOW THE FACTS!
The United States leads the world in civilian gun ownership with 120.5 guns per 100 people. The results?
- Our homicide rate is 26 times that of other high-income countries. Studies have repeatedly shown that across developed countries, where guns are more available, there are more homicides.
- A gun in the home increases the risk of suicide. Guns are not the most common method of suicide, but account for more than ½ of completed suicides.
- Access to a gun makes it five times more likely that an abusive partner will kill his female victim.
We must continue to work together to prevent gun violence in all our communities. We can do this by knowing the facts, sharing the facts, and pushing back against the Big Lie!
