DO NOT STAND IDLY BY (DNSIB) - GUN SAFETY

Our tax dollars buy 40% of the guns in America, which are used by the military and law enforcement. This means we have enormous market power. DNSIB is a market-based approach working with government leaders to build safer gun dealer networks and make smarter, safer guns available to the public.

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Since 2013, United Power for Action and Justice (DuPage United’s sister organization in Cook County) and other Metro Industrial Areas Foundation (Metro IAF) organizations have led the DNSIB campaign. DuPage United voted in April 2018 to join this effort. Together, we have the power to reshape the gun industry to sell its products through a first-rate network of dealers and utilize “smart" technology, reducing stolen guns, suicides and accidental shootings.

In May and September of 2018, faith based pension funds, municipal funds, and individual investors of American Outdoor Brands Corp (Smith & Wesson) and Sturm, Ruger & Co., respectively, passed a shareholder resolution that hold these gun companies accountable to the principles outlined above. The resolution was drafted and introduced by leaders of the Interfaith Center for Corporate Responsibility (ICCR) — with the support of Metro IAF, and leaders in DuPage United. Management asked shareholders at the meetings to vote against it, but a team of religious and civic leaders from our groups who had purchased shares, urged "yes" votes and we won!

On January 19, 2019, DuPage County Sheriff James Mendrick and State's Attorney Robert Berlin participated in a Fire Arm Expo with about 130 leaders from Metro IAF, law enforcement representatives and smart gun and safety innovators in order to move this campaign forward.

On March 10, 2019 DuPage County Sheriff James Mendrick and State's Attorney Robert Berlin committed publicly to 200 DuPage United leaders to add their names to a growing list of national law enforcement leaders and public officials who signed a “Request for Information” that urges gun manufacturers to take more responsibility for the violence and accidents associated with their guns and work to develop safer guns. They also agreed to work with DuPage United to help advertise and distribute biometric gun locks to gun owners across DuPage County who are looking for safer ways to store their guns.

DU NEXT STEPS

In the near term DuPage United will continue to:

  • Map relationships we have with people who have been affected by gun violence

  • Conduct one on one meetings and listening sessions to relate to gun owners who are interested in participating in a longitudinal study of the effect of having High-Tech-Safety-Locks in homes

  • Relate, learn, evaluate and act with our sister organizations in Metro IAF related to this issue.

CONTACT INFO

  • Benjamin Weiskopf, DuPage United Leader, Congregation Etz Chaim in Lombard, weiskobm@eckerd.edu