Josh Sugarmann is an American activist for gun control in the United States. He is the executive director and founder of the

Violence Policy Center The Violence Policy Center (VPC) is an American nonprofit organization that advocates for gun control. Organizational background According to Josh Sugarmann, its founder, the VPC approaches violence, and firearms violence in particular, as a p ...

(VPC), a non-profit advocacy and educational organization, and the author of two books on gun control. He has written a blog on these issues for the ''

Huffington Post ''HuffPost'' (formerly ''The Huffington Post'' until 2017 and sometimes abbreviated ''HuffPo'') is an American progressive news website, with localized and international editions. The site offers news, satire, blogs, and original content, and ...

'' and publishes opinion pieces in the media.

Early life

Sugarmann grew up in

Newtown, Connecticut Newtown is a town in Fairfield County, Connecticut, United States. It is part of the Greater Danbury metropolitan area as well as the New York metropolitan area. Newtown was founded in 1705, and later incorporated in 1711. As of the 2020 censu ...

, graduating in the high school class of 1978. He graduated from

Boston University Boston University (BU) is a private research university in Boston, Massachusetts. The university is nonsectarian, but has a historical affiliation with the United Methodist Church. It was founded in 1839 by Methodists with its original campu ...

with a degree in journalism. He moved to Washington, DC, where he became engaged in public interest activities, serving as a press officer in the national office of Amnesty International USA and as the communications director for the National Coalition to Ban Handguns (now known as the

Coalition to Stop Gun Violence The Coalition to Stop Gun Violence (CSGV) and the Educational Fund to Stop Gun Violence (EFSGV or Ed Fund), its sister organization, are two parts of a national, non-profit gun control advocacy organization that is opposed to gun violence. Since 19 ...

Career

In 1988 Sugarmann founded the

, a 501(c3) gun control advocacy and educational group based in Washington, DC. The Violence Policy Center is known mainly for its in-depth research on the firearms industry, the causes and effects of

gun violence Gun-related violence is violence committed with the use of a firearm. Gun-related violence may or may not be considered criminal. Criminal violence includes homicide (except when and where ruled justifiable), assault with a deadly weapon, a ...

, and recommendations for regulatory policies to reduce gun violence. Sugarmann has opposed the widespread availability of semi-automatic rifles. In 1988 he published a study, ''Assault Weapons and Accessories in America''. It examined the growing popularity of semiautomatic firearms, referring to them as "

assault weapon In the United States, ''assault weapon'' is a controversial term used to define firearms with specified characteristics. The definition varies among regulating jurisdictions, but usually includes semi-automatic firearms with a detachable magaz ...

s". Together with the response to a mass shooting in Stockton, California, the following year, his study has been credited for popularizing the use of the term "assault weapons." The study documents advertising by the gun industry that specifically refers to these weapons as assault rifles. Sugarmann has written two books on gun control. ''National Rifle Association: Money, Firepower & Fear'' (1992) was an exposé of the

National Rifle Association The National Rifle Association of America (NRA) is a gun rights advocacy group based in the United States. Founded in 1871 to advance rifle marksmanship, the modern NRA has become a prominent Gun politics in the United States, gun rights ...

. The second, ''Every Handgun is Aimed at You: The Case for Banning Handguns'' (2000), gives reasons to ban private possession of handguns in the United States. He maintains a Class One

Federal Firearms License A Federal Firearms License (FFL) is a license in the United States that enables an individual or a company to engage in a business pertaining to the manufacture or importation of firearms and ammunition, or the interstate and intrastate sale of ...

in Washington, DC, which makes it legal for him to transfer and handle firearms. Sugarmann believes a full ban on handguns is necessary. He has also called for bans on semi-automatic rifles and firearm magazines with a capacity of more than 10 rounds.

References

External links

Josh Sugarmann's blogs
on the

Josh Sugarmann, "The Price of Freedom: More Bodies"
''First Monday'', 23 May 2005, Iowans for the Prevention of Gun Violence

''Mother Jones'', January 1994 {{DEFAULTSORT:Sugarmann, Josh Living people American gun control activists Gun violence researchers Boston University College of Communication alumni Year of birth missing (living people)