Our Vision
To create safer communities by reducing gun injury and death.
Our Mission
To engage and unite gun owners and non-gun owners alike in reducing gun injury and death through advocacy, education and community action.
Our Values
At GunSenseUs, we value Safety, Consensus, Advocacy, and Respect. We believe that individuals and communities have both the right and desire for safety; to be free from harm or danger related to gun violence. We know that there is consensus among Americans for common sense legislation to prevent gun violence. To that end, we advocate for sensible legislation through community outreach and education. We approach advocacy through forthright discussion, and we respect the opinions and approaches of others.
History
GunSenseUs was founded as Gun Sense Chester County (GSCC) in March 2017, when the group developed a strategy, formed a Board of Directors and filed as a non profit 501(c)4 organization.
The group began with an email list of individuals who had been involved with the Chester County Coalition to Prevent Gun Violence — a group formed following the tragic school shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary in Newtown, CT.
Over the next 20 months the group grew and evolved — applying what it learned to developing future strategy.
During the fall of 2018, the Board of Directors made several important decisions:
- To change the group’s name to GunSenseUs (rhymes with “consensus”)
- To form a 501 c(3) affiliate group — the GunSenseUs Education Fund
- To develop a focused agenda for future group efforts
We relaunched as “GunSenseUs” in February 2019. This is our 501(c4) advocacy organization.
The GunSenseUs Education Fund has received an IRS letter of recognition as a 501c3 non profit organization.
General Philosophy
GunSenseUs recognizes there are many residents who enjoy gun ownership and use them for hunting and sporting purposes, as well as for personal protection. We also recognize that there are an unacceptably high number of gun violence injuries and deaths in the United States in the range of 10 times the amount of other developed countries in the world.
We see gun violence not as a political issue, but first and foremost and issue of community health and well-being.
We are not anti gun. We are not seeking to ban guns or confiscate guns. While we recognize the Second Amendment of the U.S. Constitution and the view that this creates rights for those who want to own guns, we believe those who choose not to own guns also have rights.
We work to educate citizens about current gun regulation and to promote a thoughtful conversation about the increased presence of guns in our society and what that means.
We support actions that keep guns from those who should not have them and activities that promote safe gun ownership and use.
We believe that through education, dialogue and common purpose, we can all work together to reduce the scourge of gun violence.
Building on Consensus for Gun Sense
Did you know that even as you read this, there are many possible policy changes on which gun owners, and non owners agree? Truth!
As a consensus oriented group, GunSenseUs has crafted a three-part agenda based on a few of these policies..think of it as “Your Best B.E.T. for Gun Safety.”
B – Background check for every gun purchase
E – Extreme risk protection orders, a tool to enable family or law enforcement to request the temporary removal of a firearm
T – Training before first firearm purchase, enhancing safety for the gun owner and those who will be exposed to the gun
For more information about B.E.T, click here.
Local Focus
Gun regulation occurs both at the state and federal level. Therefore, taking action requires knowing what legislation is being proposed, at what level of government, and the position of your specific elected officials.
As a group founded in Chester County, we offer robust information about the positions of Chester County and other elected officials, as well as opportunities to attend meetings and volunteer to help. We hold educational meetings.
As we continue to grow, we are offering information, tools and templates that support efforts in other areas of Pennsylvania.
Keep in mind, direct contact from each elected official’s local constituent is more effective than signing generic national petitions.
Activities and Events
GunSenseUs sponsors activities and events such as:
- Educational presentations
- Workshops
- Community outreach
- Meetings with elected officials
Affiliate Relations
GunSenseUs collaborates with national, regional, state and local gun violence prevention groups where we share support consensus policies. While we do not agree on every issue, or have identical approaches, we are stronger together.
We welcome you to join us.
Need to contact us? Send us an email: gunsenseus@gmail.com
Board
Co-Chairs: Andrea Morganstein & Starr Cummin Bright
Treasurer: Ann Zech
Bill Hamm
Andi Hubbard
Liz Loeper
Jim Staples
Bob Sweeney
Fred Vodde
GunSenseUs 