In light of America’s focus on the issue of gun control various methods of reform are being pushed and voted on day in and day out. However, what can the average American citizen to do to combat gun violence? The answer is simple: ASK Day. Ask Day was created to center on the awareness of guns in the home. The purpose of ASK Day is to achieve safer spaces for children as over 1 in 3 homes with kids have guns, many left unlocked and loaded. In fact, 4.6 million children live in a home with an unlocked, loaded gun, according to the Journal of Urban Health.
ASK Day is mainly about keeping the youth of America safe from accidents in their homes, but it also works to eliminate the commonality of school shootings as said shootings are rooted in obtaining guns from home. The easiest way to take in the importance of ASK day is to realize that asking is a matter of life or death. While it may be awkward to ask a neighbor, a friend, or a fellow parent about firearms in the household it is in everyone’s best interest to follow suit on their comfortability being around firearms. This is even more imperative as reform laws are being discussed and constructed.
While ASK Day is one single day of the year, a major aspect of it is carrying on the information you have learned into the lives of others. Gun violence is an imperative issue and bullets carry no name tag. Knowledge is power, and the only way to know if you are at risk, is to ask. Do your part in any way you can.
This article was written in collaboration with Audrey Throne from Her Campus Harvard, for more information on how to ask read her article, here.
Visit http://www.askingsaveskids.org/content/about-ask to follow and support the ask campaign.