Stop Handgun Violence is a Boston,

Massachusetts Massachusetts (Massachusett language, Massachusett: ''Muhsachuweesut assachusett writing systems, məhswatʃəwiːsət'' English: , ), officially the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, is the most populous U.S. state, state in the New England ...

-based 501(c)(3)

non-profit organization A nonprofit organization (NPO) or non-profit organisation, also known as a non-business entity, not-for-profit organization, or nonprofit institution, is a legal entity organized and operated for a collective, public or social benefit, in co ...

that works to reduce and prevent injuries and deaths caused by

firearm A firearm is any type of gun designed to be readily carried and used by an individual. The term is legally defined further in different countries (see Legal definitions). The first firearms originated in 10th-century China, when bamboo tubes ...

s in the United States. The group advocates personal responsibility, public awareness, stronger legislation, increased gun manufacturer responsibility, and strict law enforcement. Stop Handgun Violence was founded in 1995 by Boston developer John Rosenthal with Michael Kennedy, son of assassinated former U.S. attorney general and presidential candidate

Robert F. Kennedy Robert Francis Kennedy (November 20, 1925June 6, 1968), also known by his initials RFK and by the nickname Bobby, was an American lawyer and politician who served as the 64th United States Attorney General from January 1961 to September 1964, ...

. Rosenthal says that he was inspired to cofound the group when "I learned that 15 kids under 19 died every day in this country from the only consumer product in America that is not regulated." Rosenthal, President of the real estate development firm Meredith Management, has a history of social activism. He led protests against nuclear proliferation in the 1970s, launched the non-profit Friends of Boston's Homeless in the 1980s, founded Stop Handgun Violence in 1995, cofounded Common Sense About Kids and Guns in 1999, and cofounded the

American Hunters and Shooters Association The American Hunters and Shooters Association (AHSA) was a United States-based non-profit 501(c)(4) organization which operated from 2005 to 2010. The group described itself as a national grassroots organization for responsible gun ownership and ...

in 2005. Stop Handgun Violence has shown a particular concern with the ease with which firearms can be purchased at

gun show In the United States, a gun show is an event where promoters generally rent large public venues and then rent tables for display areas for dealers of guns and related items, and charge admission for buyers. The majority of guns for sale at gun s ...

s. It is also concerned about how easily children, the mentally ill, felons, and potential terrorists can gain access to firearms.

Public awareness

Stop Handgun Violence has implemented several media and public awareness campaigns, the centerpiece of which is America's largest billboard, located on the Massachusetts Turnpike adjacent to Fenway Park in Boston. In 2008, the 252-foot billboard, which Rosenthal owns, displayed the message "We Sell Guns! Criminals and Terrorists Welcome, No ID or Background Check Required," an ironic reference to the ease of buying firearms at gun shows. Previous displays, many designed by the

Modernista! Modernista! was a creative and communications agency based in Boston, Massachusetts. The agency represented Sears, Showtime, Product (RED), the National Park Foundation, Nickelodeon, Food Should Taste Good, Chug, Sophos, Jack Wills, Boulder Di ...

ad agency in Boston, have held messages such as "You Shoot. Your Family Pays" and a fake ransom demand, "We Have Your President and Congress – NRA." The billboard is required to be removed by the current owner of the property no later than March 2015. Other billboards have displayed photos of children who have been killed by gunfire.

Criticism

Georgetown University Georgetown University is a private university, private research university in the Georgetown (Washington, D.C.), Georgetown neighborhood of Washington, D.C. Founded by Bishop John Carroll (archbishop of Baltimore), John Carroll in 1789 as Georg ...

law professor

Randy Barnett Randy Evan Barnett (born February 5, 1952) is an American legal scholar. He serves as the Patrick Hotung Professor of Constitutional Law at Georgetown University, where he teaches constitutional law and contracts, and is the director of the Georg ...

said, in regard to Stop Handgun Violence's response to the

Columbine High School massacre On April 20, 1999, a school shooting and attempted bombing occurred at Columbine High School in Columbine, Colorado, United States. The perpetrators, 12th grade students Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold, murdered 12 students and one teacher. ...

, that "It's impossible to push a button and make firearms disappear in this country. Furthermore, so far as we are aware, this crime was committed mainly with long-guns—not handguns—and home-made explosives ipe-bombsthat no gun law can eliminate. ... We could eliminate all automobile accidents by getting rid of all automobiles.""Boston Media Deceived by 'Stop Handgun Violence' Lobby," by Eric Darbe, in Massachusetts News, http://www.massnews.com/past_issues/other/4_Apr/shv.htm.

References

{{USgunorgs Non-profit organizations based in Boston Gun control advocacy groups in the United States

Public awareness

Criticism

See also

References