Fireside Chat, Panel, Conference Presentation, Interview
Levers of Change: Gun Violence Prevention and Solutions | Milken Institute Global Conference 2023
- Mass shootings occurred 174 times before May 2nd, 2023, setting a trajectory that predicts a surge in gun violence and the normalization of shooting children unless public attention shifts.
- Federal research funding and legal remedies are expected to materialize only if gun violence is formally classified as a public health issue, though significant legislative progress before the upcoming presidential election is unlikely without a shift in federal political calculus.
- Civil immunity laws protecting the gun industry are predicted to remain in place but face erosion through state-level litigation that redefines terms, forcing manufacturers to alter marketing, monitor supply chains, and dampen the black market similar to tobacco or opioid industry adjustments.
- Financial institutions are projected to implement merchant codes and reverse-engineer purchasing data to prevent credit card usage for mass killings and make it difficult to acquire large quantities of weapons, while palm print recognition technology adoption is forecast to significantly reduce black market activity and teenage suicides.
- States with strong gun laws are expected to maintain the lowest per capita violence rates, whereas states with weak regulations will continue to suffer the highest murder rates.
- Corporate entities like Levi Strauss and Amalgamated Bank are anticipated to take stands on gun violence, cease financing illicit trafficking, and engage in political advocacy, with business community involvement driving legislative change.
- Demographic trends indicate that employers will struggle with the mental health needs of students who have normalized trauma, while younger generations will drive political change through voter registration, advocacy, and influencing parental voting alignment.
- If political pressure from voters regarding gun positions during fundraising continues, it will impact legislative behavior; conversely, a lack of accountability will prevent law enforcement and policy changes.
- Consumer behavior is projected to shift against companies that do not align with public values on gun violence, similar to past losses over LGBTQ+ policies, with trust trends suggesting increased accountability for organizational stances.
- Failure to remove assault rifles from the market, prohibit federal research funds, or stop current industry business models regarding "weapons of war" will result in continued epidemic levels of gun-related deaths and a lack of understanding regarding the crisis's underlying dynamics.