Take Action!A Message from WAVE
More than 400 people in our state are killed each year by guns. With annual firearm deaths exceeding 30,000 nationwide, families and neighborhoods everywhere are devastated daily by this violence. An appalling number of the victims are children.
Through research, education and advocacy, WAVE Educational Fund raises awareness about firearm violence throughout the state, provides up to date information to the public and to policy makers, and promotes common sense measures that will bring our state to the forefront of gun violence prevention.
The stories below provide up-to-date information about what WAVE is doing to stop gun violence, and the links above will help provide context and awareness about our campaigns. Thank you for taking an interest in our mission to end gun violence in Wisconsin.
latest updates
We Can’t Stop Now - It’s Time to Take the Next Step
Under current law, anyone can get a gun in Wisconsin without undergoing a background check or even showing identification. That’s because nearly half of all guns purchased in the state are sold at gun shows, on the street, in homes, through classified ads or over the Internet by unlicensed sellers, who are not required to conduct background checks. This creates a large and dangerous loophole in our current system. Let’s work together to close this loophole.
Listen to Jeri Bonavia, WAVE’s Executive Director, on “At Issue” on Wisconsin Public Radio
Ben Merens and his guests discuss open-carry and other Wisconsin firearm issues.
Click here to Listen!
Wednesday We Delivered Thousands of Postcards to the State Capitol!
Thanks to all who signed and collected postcards, we were able to present every single legislator with a stack of cards from their own constituents, urging them to support background checks on all gun sales.
Brady Campaign Gives Wisconsin 10 out of 100 Possible Points
Wisconsin has weak gun laws that help feed the illegal gun market and allow the sale of guns without background checks, according to the Brady Campaign. In the organization’s 2009 state scorecards released for all 50 states, Wisconsin earned just 10 points out of a total of 100.
According to government figures, Wisconsin also has the eleventh highest percentage of crime guns recovered that were originally purchased within the state. The Brady Campaign relates this “homegrown” gun violence to the lack of gun laws in the state and nationally.
MEDIA ADVISORY
6,000 Wisconsin Citizens - Representing Each and Every Legislative District - Sign Postcards Asking for Criminal Background Checks On All Gun Sales
Wisconsin Anti-Violence Effort to Deliver Postcards to All Members of Assembly and Senate
When: Wednesday, Feb. 17, 2010, 10am to 4pm Read More » »
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel Documents Years of Violations by Badger Guns
Wiped Clean, a MJS Watchdog Report details years of ATF violations by Badger Outdoor, as well as the persistent flow of guns from Badger to the streets of Milwaukee. Also of note is this followup report, Officials Want Details on Gun-Store Violations. It is time for Milwaukee to hold Badger Outdoor/Guns accountable for the steady supply of crime guns coming from their store.
A new survey confirms what we have long been saying: the NRA doesn’t represent the views of its members.
A survey conducted by Frank Luntz shows that 86% of gun owners feel we can do more to stop criminals from getting guns while also protecting the rights of citizens to freely own them, 85% support a proposal requiring all gun sellers at gun shows to conduct criminal background checks, and 93% agree that irresponsible gun dealers who break the law by knowingly selling guns to unqualified purchasers should be held accountable to the maximum extent of the law. To see the full survey click here.
These results confirm what we found in Wisconsin, where 7 out of 10 NRA members support criminal background checks on all gun sales. A Washington Post article offers an interesting perspective on the survey results. And, in a comment following the Post’s article, Dr. Garen Wintemute reminds us of the significance of gun owners supporting important policy options like requiring background checks on all gun shows. Follow this link to see Dr. Wintemute’s recent study Inside Gun Shows: What goes on When Everybody Thinks Nobody’s Watching.