There are nearly 400 million guns circulating in America—more than one for every man, woman, and child—and 263 mass shootings already in 2026. Yet this deadly reality seems to have all but vanished from the national news. I asked Shannon Watts, who founded Moms Demand Action the day after Sandy Hook in 2012, whether Americans have become numb to the gun epidemic.
“I do think the media has run out of ways to tell the story,” she said. But
”having conversations like this and making sure that it is top of mind, I think, is the only way to remind Americans this is a leading cause of death of children in this country. And we don't have to live this way. We sure as hell shouldn't die this way.”
Shannon traces how the gun lobby won legal immunity no other industry enjoys, why the NRA’s decline hasn’t ended the fight, the consequences of Republicans and Trump refusing to deal with the issue, how a plea to 75 Facebook friends became an 11-million-supporter movement that has passed more than 500 gun bills, and the continuing responsibility of activism on this and other issues facing our democracy.
This week’s six questions include:
Has the media become numb to the scale of gun violence?
How would you explain the failure by lawmakers to do more?
Why did the factual success of the assault weapons ban not stick and why have 2nd Amendment fanatics maintained so much power?
Is America’s history of violence and Wild West mythology hard to overcome?
How important is grass-roots activism to drive change?
What advice would you give everyday citizens?
This is a challenging topic that could not be more critical for America’s future. I hope you will tune in to our ultimately hopeful conversation.
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