Welcome to DU! The truly grassroots left-of-center political community where regular people, not algorithms, drive the discussions and set the standards. Join the community: Create a free account Support DU (and get rid of ads!): Become a Star Member Latest Breaking News Editorials & Other Articles General Discussion The DU Lounge All Forums Issue Forums Culture Forums Alliance Forums Region Forums Support Forums Help & Search

sarisataka

(20,992 posts)
Fri Apr 8, 2016, 10:33 PM Apr 2016

My husband died by suicide. Here’s what happened during my awkward call with the NRA.

My husband died by suicide. Here’s what happened during my awkward call with the NRA.

It wasn’t the hardest phone call I’ve ever made, but it was certainly awkward. I was cold-calling the National Rifle Association. Because the NRA is well-known for offering gun safety training, I wanted to know whether the organization had ideas on how to reduce the number of firearm suicides. Half of all suicides in the United States are by firearm, and roughly two-thirds of all firearm deaths are suicides. Given the NRA’s opposition to virtually all gun regulation, I knew this was a touchy area.

A far harder call was the one I received from a Seattle police officer a few years earlier. The officer told me that my husband had ended his struggle with anxiety and depression with a single bullet. Suddenly, I was a 38-year-old widow and a single parent of two young children. I was left wondering how this had happened and whether it could have been prevented. I was deeply angry at myself, at my husband, at a treatment system that failed him and at a society that made it easy to buy a pistol. I wasn’t the best person to try to start a conversation with the NRA. No wonder it took me a few years to make the call.

But I learned a couple of surprising things from that call and the many follow-up meetings with a local NRA lobbyist and the executive director of the Second Amendment Foundation.

First, they were not just willing to talk but also willing to listen. There was a simple reason for their openness: They are no more immune from the pain of suicide than anyone else. Every year in the United States, about 750,000 of us experience a sudden disruption in our lives due to the suicide of a loved one or close friend. With such high rates of suicide, nearly all of us will be touched by the suicide of someone we know at some point in our lives. Gun rights advocates are no exception.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/i-made-an-awkward-call-to-the-nra-and-found-that-we-had-common-ground/2016/04/07/4214bed2-fb67-11e5-886f-a037dba38301_story.html
7 replies = new reply since forum marked as read
Highlight: NoneDon't highlight anything 5 newestHighlight 5 most recent replies

ileus

(15,396 posts)
1. I found a headless body back on march 5 while fishing.
Sat Apr 9, 2016, 07:24 AM
Apr 2016

Turned out to be some poor bloke from Florida that decided to shoot himself and fall off a bridge on Jan 8th.

Ruined the last hour of our fishing tournament, we weighed in a 5lb 3oz bag.

Turns out he'd floated 23 miles in his 2 month journey down the river.

 

Kang Colby

(1,941 posts)
2. Did you read the article?
Sat Apr 9, 2016, 08:49 AM
Apr 2016

It basically explains how the NRA and SAF teamed up and helped get a suicide prevention program implemented.



 

Eleanors38

(18,318 posts)
3. This is a good initiative. Project Childsafe is another which may...
Mon Apr 11, 2016, 02:38 PM
Apr 2016

have had dramatic effect on the huge decrease in childhood deaths-by-gun accident over the last 20+ years. Childsafe s a continuing initiative which was undertaken without the passing of legislation.

 

DonP

(6,185 posts)
4. I must have missed the participation of Everytown and Mothers Demand Action in the programs
Mon Apr 11, 2016, 05:38 PM
Apr 2016

Certainly those "gun safety" organizations will want to get involved and help too, right?

So, how much $$$ has Bloomberg and the Brady Bunch donated to help them out?

 

beevul

(12,194 posts)
5. I'm still looking for an everytown "gun safety" course...
Tue Apr 12, 2016, 10:59 AM
Apr 2016

Still haven't found one. Oddly, the brady campaign doesn't seem to offer them either.

 

DonP

(6,185 posts)
6. Maybe they're working on; "The Sammy Sparrow" gun safety program for kids?
Tue Apr 12, 2016, 11:06 AM
Apr 2016

Sammy is Eddie Eagle's poor and less intelligent cousin, program won't work for shit, but as long as they mean well...

It is the height of hypocrisy for both the "Gun Safety" organizations and the individual so called gun control supporters, that none of them are involved in gun lock distribution, safe storage programs or safety training in any way.

The only gun safety program they seem to support is; "Get rid of all your guns, then we think you'll be safe".

Just another real world example of gun control supporters proving to be cheap, lazy and in this case hypocrites.

 

beevul

(12,194 posts)
7. "Just another real world example of..."
Tue Apr 12, 2016, 11:09 AM
Apr 2016

And of the depths of their dishonesty and use of propaganda.

Latest Discussions»Issue Forums»Gun Control & RKBA»My husband died by suicid...