STOPPING GUN VIOLENCE REQUIRES PRESIDENTIAL LEADERSHIP OF A MULTI-PRONGED APPROACH Tomorrow it is three years since the horror at Sandy Hook. All will pause to take special notice and to remember that which will forever remain unthinkable. And, we will resignedly note that since December 14, 2012—indeed for the last 24 years—not one single law has been passed at the federal level that would serve to reduce gun violence. Nor, as I noted in my 11-8-2015 update, The Fairy Tale of a Congressional Solution to The Gun Violence Epidemic can any law be passed at the federal level to reduce gun violence because the state math does not work. Now, since the recent mass shootings, all the gun violence prevention groups (large and small) have the same expectation, that this time we have really reached a "tipping point" and change must surely happen, probably after the election. But, as per my prior updates this is not reality but a fantasy, and while it may make many people working for sane gun laws feel better, the fact is that no change will happen at the federal level no matter what gun violence horrors occur. But this does not mean any of the groups should stop what they are doing. The general public, the media, congress must know—and be constantly reminded—that the enormous majority of Americans want sane gun laws and relief from the gun violence epidemic. HOWEVER, IT DOES MEAN THAT ALONG WITH ALL THEY ARE DOING, THEY SHOULD SUPPORT OUR PETITION CALLING ON PRESIDENT OBAMA TO DECLARE A NATIONAL STATE OF EMERGENCY TO HALT THE GUN VIOLENCE EPIDEMIC. As per my 12-06-2015 update, The Absurdity of Executive Orders to Halt the Gun Violence Epidemic Without Declaring a National State of Emergency, executive orders issued without first declaring a National State of Emergency will do nothing to halt the gun violence epidemic. STOPPING GUN VIOLENCE REQUIRES PRESIDENTIAL LEADERSHIP OF A MULTI-PRONGED APPROACH To be effective, the military consists of multiple entities—Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines, Coast Guard etc. They each have different skill sets that are brought to bear as the specific situation calls for it. Acting alone, none can accomplish the overall mission. It is presidential leadership that pulls it all together to ensure success. Our efforts to secure sane gun laws are similar. We have grassroots groups that function at the federal level and/or within states, groups engaged in legal research, groups, groups conducting evidentiary research, special studies and groups focused on strategy along with the support of university research and private foundations. While each of the groups contributes energy and effort, the reality is that our side cannot be successful in getting sane gun laws enacted at the federal level. What we can do, with the millions of supporters we have as a whole, is to give President Obama the strength to declare a National State of Emergency which would enable sane gun laws now. Anti-gun violence activists should sign our petition (see link below). AS MASS MURDERS AND TERRORISTS ATTACKS CONTINUE, IT IS NO LONGER A QUESTION OF IF A NATIONAL STATE OF EMERGENCY IS COMING, IT IS ONLY A QUESTION OF WHEN. President Obama needs to act. Every week of delay equals 600 gun deaths, 1,400 people wounded and $4.6 billion dollars of cost. If you want to see the gun violence epidemic halted, sign our petition (see below), alert the people in the gun violence prevention groups you belong to to sign and the people in your world to do so as well. Elliot Fineman CEO – Founder National Gun Victims Action Council www.gunvictimsaction.org/donate www.gunvictimsaction.org https://www.change.org/p/president-obama-halt-the-gun-violence-epidemic-today-by-declaring-a-national-state-of-emergency