FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
February 26, 2018 Contact: Zoe Grover at Info@stophandgunviolence.com
#BackfireTrump Auto-Tweets At Trump Every Time An American Dies From Gun Violence
New Campaign Aims to Shame the President Into Acting to Save American Lives.
In the wake of the devastating school shooting in Parkland,
Florida, Stop Handgun Violence is partnering with States United to Prevent Gun Violence to launch a Twitter campaign that takes aim at Donald Trump, who in his first year in office has done nothing to reduce gun violence. In fact, he has reversed Obama Administration policies that made it more difficult for known mentally ill people to legally purchase firearms.
The campaign combines real-time data of daily preventable gun violence deaths, with the massive voice of active Twitter users, to create a relentless reminder for @realDonaldTrump of the scale and seriousness of American gun violence. Each year, more than 33,000 Americans die as a result of gun violence.
The campaign’s website BackfireTrump.com asks Twitter users to make their voices heard by volunteering their accounts to automatically tweet @realDonaldTrump every time an American dies from gun violence. Data is pulled from gunviolencearchive.org, an unaffiliated, independent research group that collects data on gun related incidents in the U.S.verified by law enforcement, government and commercial sources. BackfireTrump.com users can choose to auto-tweet from their account in-real time as deadly shootings are verified, or they can auto-tweet Trump gun violence summaries on a daily or weekly basis.
“It doesn’t have to be like this. Every country has mentally ill people. We’re the only country that arms them with assault rifles,” said John Rosenthal, founder of Stop Handgun Violence. “We are disgusted by the loss of innocent lives in Parkland and across America from preventable gun violence. However, we have been encouraged by the Parkland community and the response of students across America. We are supportive of the #NeverAgain movement and hope that #BackfireTrump can help more people add their voices to this important issue.”
Rosenthal added: “There have been more than 290 school shootings since the mass shooting at Sandy Hook five years ago. These shootings underscore the need for national gun safety laws to make it harder for criminals and the dangerously mentally ill to have access to assault weapons and carry concealed handguns. Instead, the President continues to parrot gun lobby talking points, and proposes to increase access to guns in schools. Our #BackfireTrump campaign was created to raise awareness of the gun violence issues in America just like our billboard in Boston has over the last 20 years. Most gun death are preventable. Given Trump’s prolific use of the platform, Twitter seems the most effective place to reach him.”
Rosenthal said laws he has worked to change in Massachusetts “proves that strong, sensible gun laws can reduce gun injuries and deaths and still not infringe on Second Amendment rights.” Massachusetts has the lowest gun deaths in the nation.
States United to Prevent Gun Violence and Stop Handgun Violence hope this unique way of using real-time data for this important social cause will grab the President’s attention. While these numbers are high, it is worth noting the data does not include the additional 22,000 gun related suicides every year. For people looking for more ways to make their voices heard, BackfireTrump.com provides information and links for signing a petition, writing to a member of Congress, or joining a gun violence prevention organization.
Learn more about the campaign at BackfireTrump.com
See Stop Handgun Violence tweets at: twitter.com/stophandguns
Add BackfireTrump on Twitter: twitter.com/backfiretrump
See other supporters tweeting at: #BackfireTrump
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Stop Handgun Violence (SHV) is a Massachusetts based non-profit organization committed to the prevention of gun violence through education, public awareness, effective law enforcement and common sense gun laws. SHV has been the lead advocate in Massachusetts for enactment of the most effective gun violence prevention laws and first in the nation consumer protection regulations. The organization does not seek to restrict Constitutional rights, but advocates only for common sense legislation that will help save lives. For more information, go to www.stophandgunviolence.org