Gun safety org collaborates with gun rights advocates on responsible gun ownership campaign

LOS ANGELES, CA (June 13, 2022) – During National Safety Month 2022, 97Percent is proud to announce the launch of Own it: The Responsible Gun-Owner Majority – a campaign designed to spur conversation, foster accountability, generate pride, and establish a deeper understanding of what being a responsible gun owner means. 

“In the wake of Uvalde and Buffalo, the right conversations are finally starting to happen about how we address gun violence in a new way. Our organization believes involving gun owners directly is the only way we’re going to make progress,” said 97Percent Executive Director Mathew Littman. 

“We know the majority of gun owners are responsibly exercising their Second Amendment right, embracing the obligation that comes with owning a firearm. And too often, we – as a society and the media – focus on those who are not. As part of our mission to change the conversation around gun safety, we will not cultivate fear; we will instead lift up responsible gun owners and build a community ready to lead by example.”

Finding credible information about gun safety in one, digestible place is a challenge – especially for new gun owners. So 97Percent collaborated with a wide range of gun rights advocates to create a first-of-its-kind checklist and hub of resources and is proud to feature the work of such organizations as the National African American Gun Association (NAAGA), Redstone Firearms, and My Sister’s Keeper Defense.

97Percent structured its campaign around three fundamentals: Safe Use, Safe Storage & Care, and Safe Citizen. You’ll now find centralized information on 97Percent’s website regarding handling (critical safety rules, stance, grip, alignment, recoil management, etc.), where to find instructors, and how to vet them. For safe storage and care, there’s information on how to clean your firearm and how often – as well as links to safe storage solutions. Safe Citizen is a reference to staying informed about and adhering to the laws in your state, as well as researching those of the states and countries you’re traveling to – with links to the U.S. Concealed Carry Association’s reciprocity map, for example. 

“97Percent and I don’t see eye-to-eye on everything,” said NAAGA Vice President Douglas Jefferson. “But when they approached me about helping with this campaign, I saw it as a chance to advocate for the vast majority of gun owners and gun culture that promotes and embraces personal responsibility as integral to the individual right to bear arms recognized by the Second Amendment.”

“When speaking with leaders in this space like Douglas, we kept hearing about how much time, energy, and money they invest in safety – how it’s a source of pride, something they talk about with their close friends,” said Littman. “What we hope to do with this campaign is help shine a light on that commitment, get people talking openly about it, shift perceptions, and importantly, inspire other gun owners to follow suit. The need for responsible gun owners is stronger than ever.”

In addition to the website, 97Percent will be highlighting leaders in responsible gun ownership across their social media platforms. Season 2 of their video-turned-podcast series Talking About Guns (TAG) will debut on Thursday, June 16th with guests Geneva and Jonathan Solomon – the husband and wife co-owners of Redstone Firearms – breaking down their motto of “consult, educate, and train,” how safe storage is built into their curriculum, and what they’re doing to change the new gun owner buying experience.

For media inquiries, please contact:

Stephanie Genuardi Cunnane
stephanie@97percent.us
215-896-8193

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About 97Percent

97Percent is a bipartisan group of gun owners and non-gun owners united in our mission to reduce gun deaths in America, while respecting the Second Amendment. We believe the way to do that is by changing the conversation around gun safety to include gun owners, conducting original research to identify common ground, and leveraging technology to make our communities safer.