Progressive Majority:
Don’t Say…Gun control, Say…Preventing gun violence
Gun
Messaging
Voicing
Our Values—To Curtail Gun Violence
This
is an addendum to our book, Voicing Our Values: A Message Guide for Candidates.
Our purpose is to help lawmakers, candidates and activists understand how to
argue in favor of current proposals to curtail gun violence. As we explain here, we have tried to make this resource as
easy-to-use as possible by placing model language in boxes throughout. We
encourage you to adapt the language to your own voice and personalize it
with your own knowledge and experience. Much more comprehensive, detailed or
technical talking points are available from advocacy groups listed at the end
of this paper.
QUICK
LINKS:
- How to introduce your argument
- About Background Checks
- About Military-Style Assault Weapons
- About High-Capacity Ammunition Magazines
- How to rebut common pro-gun arguments
- Sources for more detailed talking points
- A PDF copy of Voicing Our Values—To Curtail Gun Violence
Our most important advice: (1) Lay out the problem in very
simple terms—most
Americans have no idea how easy our laws make it for dangerous people to buy
handguns and assault weapons; (2) Don’t let pro-gun advocates sidetrack the
debate into “straw man” arguments, obscure “facts,” or a focus on the technical
properties of guns—about
90 percent of their arguments are actually designed to change the subject so
you need to insist on a debate that is relevant to the legislation at hand; and
(3) Generally:
Don’t
say . . .
|
Say .
. .
|
Gun
control
Stricter
gun laws
You
oppose the 2nd Amendment
|
Preventing
gun violence
Stronger
gun laws
Support
for the 2nd Amendment goes hand-in-hand with keeping guns out
of the hands of dangerous people
|
Why
. . .
People
have negative reactions to “gun control” and “stricter” laws, and they feel positive about the 2nd Amendment.
Also, average voters have a favorable view of the
National Rifle Association (NRA). You are welcome to criticize the
NRA when speaking to the progressive base, but it won’t help you persuade swing
voters. That’s why these talking points don’t include anti-NRA language. If the
situation requires you to attack the NRA, then condemn “NRA lobbyists” or the
“NRA’s out-of-touch leaders.” Do not attack average NRA members or local NRA
leaders; that language doesn’t work.
Progressive Majority
How to Persuade, Say . . .
How to talk about Climate
Change, Say . . .
How to talk about Government, Regulation and Social Services, Don’t
say . . .
How to talk about LGBT Rights, Say . . .
How to talk About Economic Fairness, Say . . .
How to talk about Immigrant’s Rights, Say . . .
How to talk about Education, Say . . .
How to talk about Health Care for All, Say . . .
How to talk about Reproductive Health, Say . . .
How to talk about Torts and Civil Justice, Don’t say . . .
How to talk about Budgets and Taxes, Don’t say . . .
How to talk about Our Progressive Values, Say . . .
How to talk about the Minimum Wage, Say . . .
How to Answer Twenty Tough Questions, Say . . .
How to talk about the Environment, Say . . .
How to talk about Criminal Justice, Don’t say . . .
How to Communicate Effectively, Don’t . . .
How to talk about Voting Rights, Say . . .
How to talk about Medicaid Expansion, Say . . .
Progressive
Majority
Progressive
Majority is a national partner with America Votes.
Note: Cecile Richards
was the founder & president of America Votes, is married to Kirk
Adams, and the president of the Planned Parenthood Federation of America.
Open
Society Foundations was a funder for the Planned Parenthood Federation
of America, and the Economic Policy Institute.
George Soros is the
founder & chairman for the Open Society Foundations, was the chairman
for the Foundation to Promote Open Society, a contributor for the American
Bridge 21st Century, a member of the Democracy Alliance, and a contributor
for MoveOn.org.
Foundation
to Promote Open Society was a funder for Media
Matters, the International Rescue Committee, the Roosevelt Institute,
and the Economic Policy Institute.
Kirk Adams is
married to Cecile Richards, the international
EVP for the Service Employees
International Union (SEIU), and was the organizing director for the AFL-CIO.
American
Bridge 21st Century was a contributor for the Service Employees International Union (SEIU), and the AFL-CIO.
Francene S.
Rodgers was a contributor for the American
Bridge 21st Century, is a director at the Progressive Majority, and married to Charles S. Rodgers.
Charles S.
Rodgers is married to Francene S.
Rodgers, and was a director at the Democracy
Alliance.
Steve Phillips was
a director at the Democracy Alliance,
and is a director at the Progressive
Majority.
Tom Matzzie is a
director at the Progressive Majority,
was the Washington director for MoveOn.org,
and the online mobilization director for the AFL-CIO.
Ilyse Hogue was a director
of political advocacy for MoveOn.org,
a senior adviser for Media Matters, and the president of NARAL
Pro-Choice America.
Gloria A. Totten
was a political director for NARAL
Pro-Choice America, and is the president of the Progressive Majority.
AFL-CIO is a national
partner with America Votes.
Karen Ackerman is
a director at the Progressive Majority,
and was a political director for the AFL-CIO.
Barbara Shailor
was the international director for the AFL-CIO, an overseer for the International Rescue Committee, a governor
for the Roosevelt Institute, and is married to Robert L. Borosage.
Robert L.
Borosage is married to Barbara
Shailor, the chairman for the Progressive
Majority, the chairman for the Progressive
Majority, and a director at the Blue-Green
Alliance.
Larry Cohen is a
director at the Blue-Green Alliance,
the president of the Communications
Workers of America, and a director at the Economic Policy Institute.
Leo W. Gerard is a
co-chair for the Blue-Green Alliance,
the president of the United Steelworkers
of America, and a director at the Economic
Policy Institute.
Bob King is a
director at the Blue-Green Alliance,
the president of the United Auto Workers,
and a director at the Economic Policy
Institute.
Joseph T. Hansen
is a director at the Blue-Green Alliance,
the president of the United Food and
Commercial Workers International Union, and is a director at the Economic Policy Institute.
Richard L. Trumka
is a director at the Economic Policy
Institute, and the president of the AFL-CIO.
AFL-CIO is a national
partner with America Votes.
Progressive
Majority is a national partner with America Votes.
Cecile Richards
was the founder & president of America Votes, is married to Kirk
Adams, and the president of the Planned Parenthood Federation of America.
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