TED2016
Dan Gross: Why gun violence can't be our new normal
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Readability: 4.1
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It doesn't matter whether you love or hate guns; it's obvious that the US would be a safer place if there weren't thousands of them sold every day without background checks. Dan Gross, president of the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence, makes a passionate, personal appeal for something that more than 90 percent of Americans want: background checks for all gun sales. "For every great movement around the world, there's a moment where you can look back and say, 'That's when things really started to change,'" Gross says. "For the movement to end gun violence in America, that moment is here."
Dan Gross - Gun-control activist
As president of the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence, Dan Gross seeks to cut US gun deaths in half by 2025. Full bio
As president of the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence, Dan Gross seeks to cut US gun deaths in half by 2025. Full bio
Double-click the English transcript below to play the video.
00:12
OK, so, confession:
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I've always been weirdly
obsessed with advertising.
obsessed with advertising.
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I remember watching
Saturday morning cartoons,
Saturday morning cartoons,
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paying more attention to the commercials
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than to the shows,
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trying to figure out how they were trying
to get inside my head.
to get inside my head.
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Ultimately, that led me to my dream job.
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I became a partner
at a big New York ad agency.
at a big New York ad agency.
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But then, all of that suddenly changed
on February 23, 1997,
on February 23, 1997,
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when my little brother Matt
was shot in the head
was shot in the head
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in a shooting that happened
on the observation deck
on the observation deck
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of the Empire State Building.
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Suddenly, my family was thrown
into the middle of a nightmare,
into the middle of a nightmare,
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being told that my brother
was going to die,
was going to die,
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actually being given the opportunity
to say goodbye to him,
to say goodbye to him,
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then several emergency brain surgeries
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and now what's amounted, for Matt,
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to a lifetime spent courageously
recovering from a traumatic brain injury.
recovering from a traumatic brain injury.
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He is definitely my hero.
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But as much as (Applause) --
yeah, deserves it --
yeah, deserves it --
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(Applause)
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But as much as this tragedy
was a nightmare for my family,
was a nightmare for my family,
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I often think about how much worse
it could have been;
it could have been;
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in fact, how much worse
it is for the 90 families every day
it is for the 90 families every day
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who aren't as fortunate,
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who lose loved ones -- brothers,
sisters, sons, daughters, parents.
sisters, sons, daughters, parents.
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They don't all make national headlines.
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In fact, most of them don't.
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They go largely unnoticed,
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in a nation that's kind of come to accept
a disgraceful national epidemic
a disgraceful national epidemic
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as some kind of new normal.
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So I quit my job in advertising
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to try and do something about
this disgraceful national epidemic,
this disgraceful national epidemic,
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because I came to realize
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that the challenges
to preventing gun violence
to preventing gun violence
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are actually the same ones
that made me love advertising,
that made me love advertising,
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which is to try to figure out
how to engage people.
how to engage people.
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Only instead of doing it to sell products,
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doing it to save lives.
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And that comes down to
finding common ground,
finding common ground,
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where what I want overlaps
with what you want.
with what you want.
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And you might be surprised to learn,
when it comes to gun violence,
when it comes to gun violence,
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just how much common ground there is.
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Let's look, for example,
at people who love to hunt,
at people who love to hunt,
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a sport enjoyed by millions across the US.
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It's a proud tradition. Families.
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In some places,
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the first day of hunting season
is actually a school holiday.
is actually a school holiday.
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What do hunters want?
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Well, they want to hunt.
They love their guns.
They love their guns.
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They believe deeply
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in the Second Amendment right
to own those guns.
to own those guns.
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But that doesn't mean
there isn't common ground.
there isn't common ground.
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In fact, there's a lot of it,
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starting with the basic idea
of keeping guns out of dangerous hands.
of keeping guns out of dangerous hands.
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This isn't about taking
certain guns away from all people.
certain guns away from all people.
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It's about keeping all guns
away from certain people,
away from certain people,
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and it's the people that, it turns out,
we all agree shouldn't have guns:
we all agree shouldn't have guns:
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convicted violent criminals,
domestic abusers,
domestic abusers,
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the dangerously mentally ill.
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We can all appreciate
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how Brady background checks
have been incredibly effective
have been incredibly effective
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in keeping guns
out of those dangerous hands.
out of those dangerous hands.
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In 20 years, Brady background checks
at federally licensed firearm dealers
at federally licensed firearm dealers
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have blocked 2.4 million gun sales
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to those people that we all agree
shouldn't have guns.
shouldn't have guns.
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(Applause)
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And whether you love guns or hate guns,
you probably also appreciate
you probably also appreciate
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that there shouldn't be thousands
of gun sales every day
of gun sales every day
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at guns shows or online
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without those Brady background checks,
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just like there shouldn't be two lines
to get on an airplane --
to get on an airplane --
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one with security
and one with no security.
and one with no security.
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And --
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(Applause)
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And the numbers show the overwhelming
agreement among the American public:
agreement among the American public:
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90 percent of Americans support
expanding Brady background checks
expanding Brady background checks
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to all gun sales -- including
90 percent of Republicans,
90 percent of Republicans,
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more than 80 percent of gun owners,
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more than 70 percent of NRA members.
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This is not a controversial idea.
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In fact, only six percent
of the American public disagrees.
of the American public disagrees.
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That's about the percentage
of the American public
of the American public
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that believes the moon landing was a fake.
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(Laughter)
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And it's also about the percentage
that believes the government
that believes the government
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is putting mind-controlling technology
in our TV broadcast signals.
in our TV broadcast signals.
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That's the extent to which we agree
about background checks.
about background checks.
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But what about the 300 million guns
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already out there in homes across America?
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Well first, it's important to realize
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that those guns are mostly
in the hands and homes
in the hands and homes
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of decent, law-abiding people
like you and me,
like you and me,
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who want what we all want --
including keeping our families safe.
including keeping our families safe.
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In fact, that's why more and more people
are choosing to own guns.
are choosing to own guns.
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Ten years ago, 42 percent
of the American public
of the American public
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believed -- incorrectly -- that a gun
makes your home safer.
makes your home safer.
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Today, that number is 63 percent.
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Why?
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I kind of hate to say it,
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because it gets to the dark
underbelly of advertising,
underbelly of advertising,
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which is if you tell
a big enough lie enough times,
a big enough lie enough times,
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eventually that lie becomes the truth.
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And that's exactly what's happened here.
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The corporate gun lobby
has spent billions of dollars
has spent billions of dollars
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blocking the CDC from doing research
into the public health epidemic
into the public health epidemic
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of gun violence;
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blocking pediatricians
from talking to parents
from talking to parents
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about the dangers of guns in the home;
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blocking smart-gun technology
and other technology
and other technology
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that would prevent kids
from firing parents' guns
from firing parents' guns
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and would save lives.
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They're desperate to hide the truth,
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because they view the truth
as a threat to their bottom line.
as a threat to their bottom line.
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And every day,
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people are dying as a result.
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And a lot of those people are children.
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Every day in the US,
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nine kids are just shot unintentionally.
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900 children and teens
take their own lives every year.
take their own lives every year.
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And here's the thing:
they're almost all with a parent's gun.
they're almost all with a parent's gun.
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Even two-thirds of school shootings
happen with a gun taken from the home,
happen with a gun taken from the home,
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including the terrible tragedy
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at Sandy Hook.
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I meet so many of these parents;
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it's the most heartbreaking
part of my job.
part of my job.
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These are not bad people.
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They're just living with the unimaginable
consequences of a very bad decision,
consequences of a very bad decision,
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made based on very bad information
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that was put into their minds
by very bad people,
by very bad people,
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who know good and well
the misery that they're causing,
the misery that they're causing,
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but just don't care.
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And the result is a nightmare --
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not only for families like mine,
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but for, really, at the end
of the day, all of us.
of the day, all of us.
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But I'm not here to talk
about the nightmare of gun violence.
about the nightmare of gun violence.
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I'm here to talk about our dream,
and it's a dream we all share,
and it's a dream we all share,
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which is the dream
of a better, safer, future.
of a better, safer, future.
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For my organization,
for the Brady Campaign,
for the Brady Campaign,
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that dream is reflected in the bold goal
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to cut the number of gun deaths
in the US in half by 2025.
in the US in half by 2025.
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And I hope to leave
all of you here tonight
all of you here tonight
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with a strong sense of exactly why
that dream is so absolutely within reach.
that dream is so absolutely within reach.
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Because folks,
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for every great movement around the world,
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there's a moment
where you can look back and say,
where you can look back and say,
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"That's when things
really started to change."
really started to change."
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And I'm here to say
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that for the movement
to end gun violence in America,
to end gun violence in America,
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that moment is here.
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(Applause)
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We are so clearly at a tipping point,
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because the American public
has come together by the millions
has come together by the millions
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like never before,
based on that common ground,
based on that common ground,
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to say, "Enough."
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Enough of the mass shootings
in malls and movie theaters
in malls and movie theaters
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and churches and schools.
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Enough of the daily terror
of gun violence in homes and streets
of gun violence in homes and streets
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that's claimed the lives of women
and young black men
and young black men
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in staggering proportions.
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Enough of easy access to guns
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by the people that we all agree
shouldn't have them.
shouldn't have them.
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And enough of a small group
of craven politicians
of craven politicians
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putting the interests
of the corporate gun lobby
of the corporate gun lobby
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ahead of the people
they have been elected to represent.
they have been elected to represent.
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Enough.
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(Applause)
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And the really exciting thing is,
it's not just the usual suspects like me
it's not just the usual suspects like me
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that are saying it anymore.
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It's so much bigger than that.
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And if you want proof,
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let's start where most conversations
in the US seem to start --
in the US seem to start --
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with Kim Kardashian.
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(Laughter)
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And here's the thing:
it's not really a joke.
it's not really a joke.
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I mean, think about when issues change.
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It's when they go from being
political and advocacy issues
political and advocacy issues
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to being part of pop culture,
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voices coming from everywhere,
celebrities using their platforms,
celebrities using their platforms,
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musicians, athletes.
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The NBA has come forward.
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Conservative pundits that you never
would have imagined
would have imagined
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have come forward.
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There's real cultural change --
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I even hear there's a TED Talk
about it this year.
about it this year.
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That's the extent to which
this cultural change is happening.
this cultural change is happening.
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And yes, Kim Kardashian has made
an unsolicited passionate appeal
an unsolicited passionate appeal
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to her 35 million Twitter followers
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for expanded background checks.
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Let's look at the political elections
that are heating up.
that are heating up.
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This used to be the classic
third-rail issue for Democrats.
third-rail issue for Democrats.
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Couldn't run from it fast enough.
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Now candidates are running on it.
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Some are being forced
to reverse very bad positions
to reverse very bad positions
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they defended very comfortably,
until very recently.
until very recently.
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For somebody like me,
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watching people wave around
their negative NRA ratings --
their negative NRA ratings --
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it's almost surreal to watch.
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We're still outfunded, yes,
by the corporate gun lobby,
by the corporate gun lobby,
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and ultimately that needs to change.
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But you know what?
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We're smarter and we're scrappier,
and we have the truth on our side.
and we have the truth on our side.
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And we're on offense.
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You know, they say that the Internet
democratizes information.
democratizes information.
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Social media and some
of the organizing tools that plug into it
of the organizing tools that plug into it
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have democratized activism.
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It's allowed us to show what 90 percent
support really looks like.
support really looks like.
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Sometimes I think of it --
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you know, we're converging
and attacking instantly by the millions,
and attacking instantly by the millions,
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kind of like white blood cells.
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It's enabled us to start to really
close -- and this is the bottom line --
close -- and this is the bottom line --
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close that disgraceful disconnect
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between what the American public wants
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and what our elected leaders
are doing about it.
are doing about it.
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Until recently,
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the narrative in Congress
was that calls from the other side,
was that calls from the other side,
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from that six percent,
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outnumbered calls from our side 10 to one.
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We're flipping that narrative on its head.
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After that recent terrible tragedy
in San Bernardino,
in San Bernardino,
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we jammed Congressional switchboards.
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We put 15,000 calls
into Congress in 24 hours.
into Congress in 24 hours.
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And you know what?
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We got a vote on a bill
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that nobody thought was going to see
the light of day anytime soon.
the light of day anytime soon.
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We're seeing real movement
to repeal some of the most evil,
to repeal some of the most evil,
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ugly gun lobby legislation
passed over the last dark decade.
passed over the last dark decade.
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The stranglehold of the gun lobby
is clearly being broken.
is clearly being broken.
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We've seen President Obama's
historic executive actions.
historic executive actions.
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They don't go all the way,
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but they are going to save lives,
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because they expand
Brady background checks
Brady background checks
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to thousands of gun sales
that didn't have them previously.
that didn't have them previously.
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And we're marching across the country --
we're not just waiting
we're not just waiting
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for Congress to act; that would almost
be the definition of insanity.
be the definition of insanity.
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We're marching across the country,
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state by state, marriage-equality style.
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And you know what? We're winning.
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Congress is almost always
the last to wake up and realize
the last to wake up and realize
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that it's on the wrong side of history.
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And when they do, it's always
because the American public shakes them.
because the American public shakes them.
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And that's exactly
what we're doing right now,
what we're doing right now,
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as we're in this tipping point.
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You know, recently I was flying
cross-country to give a speech
cross-country to give a speech
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to a large group like this,
although far less intimidating,
although far less intimidating,
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and the woman sitting next to me
happened to be binge-watching
happened to be binge-watching
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one of my all-time favorite
TV shows, "Mad Men,"
TV shows, "Mad Men,"
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a period TV show about advertising
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in the 1960s.
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And as I was trying to think
about how to end my remarks,
about how to end my remarks,
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I'd glance up at her screen
every now and then,
every now and then,
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and it seemed that every time I did,
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I'd see somebody smoking
in an office or around children
in an office or around children
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or while pregnant or drinking and driving
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or driving without seat belts
or sexually harassing a coworker.
or sexually harassing a coworker.
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And ultimately it dawned on me:
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what tremendous inspiration
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to those of us who have this dream
to end gun violence.
to end gun violence.
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I mean, think about how much
the world has changed
the world has changed
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in a relatively short period of time,
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how all those behaviors that were once
considered commonplace or normal --
considered commonplace or normal --
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some even glamorous or sexy --
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have become stigmatized
in just a generation or two,
in just a generation or two,
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once they became conversations
about our common ground.
about our common ground.
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That is the magnitude of the change
we have the potential to create
we have the potential to create
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around gun violence.
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And that's my dream,
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that maybe someday,
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some period TV show will depict
the terrible nightmare of gun violence,
the terrible nightmare of gun violence,
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and a future generation of children
might only be able to imagine
might only be able to imagine
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how terrible it must have been.
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Thank you.
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(Applause)
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Thank you.
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(Applause)
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Thank you.
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(Applause)
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ABOUT THE SPEAKER
Dan Gross - Gun-control activistAs president of the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence, Dan Gross seeks to cut US gun deaths in half by 2025.
Why you should listen
"For too long we've been playing Mister Nice Guy," says Dan Gross, who takes an unapologetic stance against gun violence in the United States. As leader of the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence, he's fought a fierce battle in favor of background checks and against "bad apple" firearms dealers. Through aggressive media campaigns, he leads the charge to transform the nation's conversation on guns and gun safety.
Gross's activism stems from personal tragedy: in 1997, his brother was permanently disabled in a shooting at the Empire State Building, inspiring Gross to found the Center to Prevent Youth Violence (now known as PAX).
Dan Gross | Speaker | TED.com