Ask your candidate: Where do you stand on gun violence prevention?

Texas Congresswoman Barbara Jordan said it best: "Government is too important to be a spectator sport." She was talking to all of us. Know the issues and where your candidate stands on gun violence prevention. Registered Oregon voters should have received their ballots by now. If you didn't get yours, call the Oregon Elections Division at 1-866-673-VOTE (1-866-673-8683) Find your Oregon legislators here. Is your State Senator up for re-election? Find out here. Is your State Representative running for re-election? Find out here. ​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​Right now is a great time to ask the candidates questions about their positions on gun safety. Do you believe gun violence is a problem in Oregon?  Fact: In 2014 alone, 497 Oregonians lost their lives to gun violence.1 Fact: Over 85% of guns deaths in Oregon are suicides.1 Fact: Just last year, Oregon suffered from our deadliest school shooting yet. (Umpqua Community College, Roseburg) Fact: Gunshot wound was a predominant mechanism of death in the incidents of IPV-related homicide.2 Do you support an assault weapons ban?3,4 Do you support legislation to limit firearm magazine capacity to 10 or fewer bullets? (Oregon's cartridge limit is five when hunting large game.)5,6 Would you support a law that requires safe storage for firearms?7 Do you believe people should be required to complete training before they can buy a firearm? (Training could include accurate shooting, gun safety and safe storage, conflict de-escalation, and/or anger management.) How would you improve Oregon’s mental health system to help reduce the suicide rate by firearm?8 What will you do to reduce gun violence?  Increase standards of gun ownership.9 Require secure storage for all firearms. Require research into gun violence in Oregon. Close the Charleston Loophole.10 Call or email your candidates or elected officials today. Ask them the questions listed above and request a reply. Be sure to tell them you're a voter in their district! Thanks for your work to prevent gun violence. Ceasefire Oregon Board of Directors 1. Oregon Public Health Authority 2. Oregon Domestic Violence Fatality Review Team: 2014 Report to the Legislature, page 3.  3. S. 4269 Assault Weapons Ban 4. "How Effective Was the Assault Weapons Ban?" 5. Large Capacity Magazines, Law Center to Prevent Gun Violence 6. Ceasefire Oregon supports a magazine limit of 5 cartridges based on the Oregon limit of cartridges permitted when hunting large game. 7. Safe Storage and Gun Locks, Law Center to Prevent Gun Violence 8. Suicide Prevention Resource Center, Oregon Public Health Authority 9. Ceasefire Oregon's Plan to Reduce Gun Violence: Prohibition of gun ownership for 10 years if a person has multiple offenses involving misdemeanor violence, alcohol or drug abuse, domestic violence, a domestic violence restraining order or serious juvenile offense. 10. Close the Charleston Loophole: HB 4147.  2016 Oregon Legislative Session Make a difference today