2020 in review

In 2020 so far,  nearly 2.5 million Americans bought a firearm for the first time. Meanwhile, as COVID-19 continues--as does physical isolation, unemployment, concerns about domestic violence, and more--many have worried that suicide rates may increase as well. So, does buying a gun during COVID increase your risk of suicide? Well, new research does show that those who bought firearms during the pandemic are more likely to deal with  suicidal ideation than pre-existing gun owners. To break this down, hosts Kelly and JJ are speaking with Dr. Michael Anestis, executive director of the New Jersey Gun Violence Research Center and an associate professor at the Rutgers School of Public Health.

Mentioned in this podcast:

• Guns and Suicide: an American Epidemic (Oxford University Press)
• Suicidal Ideation Among Individuals Who Have Purchased Firearms During COVID-19 (American Journal of Preventive Medicine)
• Associations Among Exaggerated Threat Perceptions, Suicidal Thoughts, and Suicidal Behaviors in US Firearm Owners (Journal of Psychiatric Research)
• We Need to Talk about Guns and Suicide (the Philadelphia Inquirer) 

Help support the podcast and Brady's mission by clicking here!

For more information on Brady, follow us on social media @Bradybuzz or visit our website at bradyunited.org.

Full transcripts and bibliographies of this episode are available at bradyunited.org/podcast.

National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 1-800-273-8255. 
Music provided by: David “Drumcrazie” Curby
Special thanks to Hogan Lovells for thei

For more information on Brady, follow us on social media @Bradybuzz or visit our website at bradyunited.org.

Full transcripts and bibliographies of this episode are available at bradyunited.org/podcast.

National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 1-800-273-8255.
In a crisis? Text HOME to 741741 to connect with a Crisis Counselor 24/7.

Music provided by: David “Drumcrazie” Curby
Special thanks to Hogan Lovells for their long-standing legal support
℗&©2019 Red, Blue, and Brady

On September 9, 1971, 1,281 of Attica prison's approximately 2,200 inmates rioted and took control of the prison, taking 42 staff hostage. That riot--and the following four days of negotiations, followed by a massacre--had a major impact on prisons and policing in the United States. In particular, it changed how people thought about the rights of currently and formerly incarcerated and firearms. To discuss this all, and how it relates to 2020, Kelly and JJ are joined by the Pulitzer-prize winning historian Heather Ann Thompson. Dr. Thompson is the author of the celebrated text Blood in the Water: The Attica Uprising of 1971 and its Legacy and the fantastic book Whose Detroit: Politics, Labor and Race in a Modern American City. She is here today to talk with us all about gun violence, segregation, policing, incarceration, and the Voting Rights Act.

Mentioned in this podcast:

Blood in the Water (Heather Ann Thompson)
Why Mass Incarceration Matters to our Cities, Economy, and Democracy (Ash Center)
The Ugly History of Racist Policing in America: Interview with Heather Ann Thompson (Vox)
How Prisons Change the Balance of Power in America (Atlantic)
Inner-City Violence in the Age of Mass Incarceration (Atlantic)

For more information on Brady, follow us on social media @Bradybuzz or visit our website at bradyunited.org.

Full transcripts and bibliographies of this episode are available at bradyunited.org/podcast.

Right now, RBB listeners have an opportunity to get 70% off on a 2 year plan with NordVPN by clicking this link!

National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 1-800-273-8255. 
Music provided by: David “Drumcrazie” Curby
Special thanks to Hogan Lovells for their long-standing legal support 
℗&©2019 Red, Blue, and Brady

For more information on Brady, follow us on social media @Bradybuzz or visit our website at bradyunited.org.

Full transcripts and bibliographies of this episode are available at bradyunited.org/podcast.

National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 1-800-273-8255.
In a crisis? Text HOME to 741741 to connect with a Crisis Counselor 24/7.

Music provided by: David “Drumcrazie” Curby
Special thanks to Hogan Lovells for their long-standing legal support
℗&©2019 Red, Blue, and Brady

Throughout the spring and summer of 2020, streets and communities across the United States have echoed with protesters’ demands for the reform or defunding of police departments. To break down the root causes of these demonstrations and what changes their impressive momentum might bring, host JJ and Kelly Sampson, legal counsel at Brady, are joined by Dwayne Crawford, Executive Director of the National Organization of Black Law Enforcement Executives (NOBLE), and Clayton Rosenberg, Chief of Staff for the Alliance of Concerned Men, for a discussion about police reform, public safety, and gun violence prevention.

Mentioned in this podcast:

• Rage and Promises Followed Ferguson, but Little Changed (NY Times)
• Policing Task Force (Tribune News Service)
• Brady Joins Americans Across the Country in Expressing Outrage (Brady)

For more information on Brady, follow us on social media @Bradybuzz or visit our website at bradyunited.org.

Full transcripts and bibliographies of this episode are available at bradyunited.org/podcast.

Right now, RBB listeners have an opportunity to get 70% off on a 2 year plan with NordVPN by clicking this link!

National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 1-800-273-8255. 
Music provided by: David “Drumcrazie” Curby
Special thanks to Hogan Lovells for their long-standing legal support 
℗&©2019 Red, Blue, and Brady

For more information on Brady, follow us on social media @Bradybuzz or visit our website at bradyunited.org.

Full transcripts and bibliographies of this episode are available at bradyunited.org/podcast.

National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 1-800-273-8255.
In a crisis? Text HOME to 741741 to connect with a Crisis Counselor 24/7.

Music provided by: David “Drumcrazie” Curby
Special thanks to Hogan Lovells for their long-standing legal support
℗&©2019 Red, Blue, and Brady

In early 2020, the American Medical Association said that killings of transgender women of color in the United States amounted to an epidemic. Transgender women of color are exceptionally prone to the deadly consequences that arise from the intersections of racism, sexism, transphobia, and unchecked access; 2020 alone has already seen at least 16 transgender or gender non-conforming people fatally shot or killed by other violent means.

To discuss the murders of Black trans women and how firearms contribute to them, host JJ is joined by Kelly Sampson, legal counsel at Brady, and Imara Jones, writer, activist, and creator of TransLash. 

Mentioned in this podcast:

• The Future of Trans (TransLash)
• Violence Against the Transgender Community in 2020 (HRC)
• The Murders of  Riah Milton in Ohio and Dominique “Rem’Mie” Fells (Time)
• March for Black Trans Lives (New York Times)

For more information on Brady, follow us on social media @Bradybuzz or visit our website at bradyunited.org.

Full transcripts and bibliographies of this episode are available at bradyunited.org/podcast.

Right now, RBB listeners have an opportunity to get 70% off on a 2 year plan with NordVPN by clicking this link!

National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 1-800-273-8255. 
Music provided by: David “Drumcrazie” Curby
Special thanks to Hogan Lovells for their long-standing legal support 
℗&©2019 Red, Blue, and Brady

For more information on Brady, follow us on social media @Bradybuzz or visit our website at bradyunited.org.

Full transcripts and bibliographies of this episode are available at bradyunited.org/podcast.

National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 1-800-273-8255.
In a crisis? Text HOME to 741741 to connect with a Crisis Counselor 24/7.

Music provided by: David “Drumcrazie” Curby
Special thanks to Hogan Lovells for their long-standing legal support
℗&©2019 Red, Blue, and Brady

20 years ago, on May 14, 2000, downtown Washington D.C. watched as the Million Mom March became the largest non-violent protest in the history of the National Mall, birthplace of many of the nation's greatest political demonstrations. Over 750,000 people, the majority of them women, came together on that Sunday to call for the end of gun violence, and across the country many thousands more gathered in smaller — but no less spirited — groups, bringing the total number of participants into seven figures and making the Million Mom March true to its name.

In the 20 years since, Marchers have carried across the country the torch of activism they lit that Sunday afternoon as they stood, unified and purposeful, in the shadow of the nation's monuments to its greatest people and events, and wherever the Marchers have brought that torch — to counties, to states, to the halls of Congress — they have helped bring to pass gun safety laws ensuring that tomorrow will be safer than today.

In 2001, the Million Mom March merged with Brady, and the work the Marchers began continued to grow and be realized as they labored alongside Jim and Sarah Brady's activists to end the public health epidemic that is gun violence. The two groups became one, and as one they worked tirelessly to reduce — from 21 to zero — the number of children and adults shot each day in American cities and towns.

In this episode celebrating the 20th anniversary of the March, our host JJ welcomes three women to the show who are each as knowledgeable about gun violence prevention as they are committed to its ideals: Kris Brown, Brady's president, who was a participant of the Million Mom March; Dana Sanchez-Quist, a member of the Brady State Executive Committee; Shikha Hamilton, Brady National Chapter Organizing and Chapter Development Manager; and Donna Dees-Thomases, visionary founder of the Million Mom March and the dream of a safer future that it continues to represent.

Mentioned in this podcast:

the 20th Anniversary of the Million Mom March (Brady)
the Legacy of the Million Mom March (Medium)
Five Awake Documentary (Hollywood Reporter)
ASK to End Family Fire (Brady)

For more information on Brady, follow us on social @Bradybuzz, or via our website at

For more information on Brady, follow us on social media @Bradybuzz or visit our website at bradyunited.org.

Full transcripts and bibliographies of this episode are available at bradyunited.org/podcast.

National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 1-800-273-8255.
In a crisis? Text HOME to 741741 to connect with a Crisis Counselor 24/7.

Music provided by: David “Drumcrazie” Curby
Special thanks to Hogan Lovells for their long-standing legal support
℗&©2019 Red, Blue, and Brady

This episode is the first in a series of podcasts tackling the intersection of racial justice and gun violence prevention. These are tough issues that the country has struggled with enormously and at great length, and to address them with the gravity, attention to detail, and transparency they deserve, JJ enlists the aid of her new cohost Kelly Sampson, Brady Counsel; Aalayah Eastmond, a member of the Team ENOUGH executive council and survivor of the Parkland school shooting; and Tatiana Washington, another Team ENOUGH executive council member who also serves as an advocacy associate at March for Our Lives. Together, this formidable panel discusses allyship, racism, and the roles that young women of color play in the gun violence prevention movement.

Mentioned in this podcast:

• "The Right Not to Be Shot," by Brady's Kelly Sampson and Jon Lowy
• Aalayah's congressional testimony before the U.S. House Judiciary

For more information on Brady, follow us on social @Bradybuzz, or via our website at bradyunited.org. Full transcripts and bibliography available at bradyunited.org/podcast.

National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 1-800-273-8255. 
Music provided by: David “Drumcrazie” Curby
Special thanks to Hogan Lovells, for their long standing legal support 
℗&©2019 Red, Blue, and Brady

For more information on Brady, follow us on social media @Bradybuzz or visit our website at bradyunited.org.

Full transcripts and bibliographies of this episode are available at bradyunited.org/podcast.

National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 1-800-273-8255.
In a crisis? Text HOME to 741741 to connect with a Crisis Counselor 24/7.

Music provided by: David “Drumcrazie” Curby
Special thanks to Hogan Lovells for their long-standing legal support
℗&©2019 Red, Blue, and Brady

• A Matter of Faith 
• The Truth about Suicide and Guns
• How to Support Survivors and People Impacted by Gun Violence
• Team ENOUGH suicide prevention and mental health resources
• Scapegoating and Gun Violence--a Fatal Circle 

For more information on Brady, follow us on social media @Bradybuzz or visit our website at bradyunited.org.

Full transcripts and bibliographies of this episode are available at bradyunited.org/podcast.

National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 1-800-273-8255.
In a crisis? Text HOME to 741741 to connect with a Crisis Counselor 24/7.

Music provided by: David “Drumcrazie” Curby
Special thanks to Hogan Lovells for their long-standing legal support
℗&©2019 Red, Blue, and Brady

How do we get more gun owners involved in the fight against gun violence? What is the gun violence prevention movement doing wrong? To answer those questions, gun novice JJ is joined by two great gun owners: Kyleanne Hunter, VP of Programs at Brady, Marine veteran, and corgi owner; and Mark House, a New York city public school Principal and father. Together, they're trying to find a way for everyone to be included in the conversation on how to end gun violence.

Then, JJ dips into some unbelievable news--namely, why guns don't belong in schools--and the gun violence prevention wrap-ups move from Fridays to Mondays! What?! I know, I know, we're getting crazy around here.

In this episode, you'll learn:
...about the culture of gun ownership;
...why safe storage matters;
...what it's like dealing with the "new normal" of school shootings;
...how some gun owners respond to "common sense" gun laws;
...what it's like, being a gun owner who is involved with efforts to reduce and prevent gun violence;
and, what the gun violence movement is doing wrong.

Some of the links mentioned in this episode :
"End Family Fire."
"Gun Ownership."

For more information on Brady, follow us on social @Bradybuzz, or via our website at bradyunited.org. Full transcripts and bibliography available at bradyunited.org/podcast.

National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 1-800-273-8255. 
Music provided by: David “Drumcrazie” Curby
Special thanks to Hogan Lovells, for their longstanding legal support 
℗&©2019 Red, Blue, and Brady

For more information on Brady, follow us on social media @Bradybuzz or visit our website at bradyunited.org.

Full transcripts and bibliographies of this episode are available at bradyunited.org/podcast.

National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 1-800-273-8255.
In a crisis? Text HOME to 741741 to connect with a Crisis Counselor 24/7.

Music provided by: David “Drumcrazie” Curby
Special thanks to Hogan Lovells for their long-standing legal support
℗&©2019 Red, Blue, and Brady

JJ is joined by Christian Heyne, VP of Policy at Brady, and Liz Dunning, the Director of Institutional Giving at Brady. Both Christian and Liz work at Brady...and both lost their mothers to gun violence. In this episode, we’re talking about how they deal with that loss, how they balance working in gun violence prevention, and what brought them to Brady. 

JJ also talks about why you shouldn't shoot at alien lasers--no, really--and thanks a very special GVP hero. 

Mentioned in this podcast:

• Liz's blog, Run Lizzie Run 
• Sitting on the floor

For more information on Brady, follow us on social @Bradybuzz, or via our website at bradyunited.org. Full transcripts and bibliography available at bradyunited.org/podcast.

National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 1-800-273-8255. 
Music provided by: David “Drumcrazie” Curby
Special thanks to Hogan Lovells, for their longstanding legal support 
℗&©2019 Red, Blue, and Brady

For more information on Brady, follow us on social media @Bradybuzz or visit our website at bradyunited.org.

Full transcripts and bibliographies of this episode are available at bradyunited.org/podcast.

National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 1-800-273-8255.
In a crisis? Text HOME to 741741 to connect with a Crisis Counselor 24/7.

Music provided by: David “Drumcrazie” Curby
Special thanks to Hogan Lovells for their long-standing legal support
℗&©2019 Red, Blue, and Brady