Lawrenceburg, TN – On May 16, 2025, the Lawrenceburg Rotary Club welcomed Todd Cruse, Board Chairman of Voices for a Safer Tennessee, as the guest speaker for its regular meeting. Cruse shared powerful insights on the critical issue of gun safety and the organization’s mission to reduce gun violence and promote responsible firearm ownership.
Todd Cruse began by highlighting the tragic connection to the Covenant School shooting, revealing that one of the victims was his neighbor. This personal connection fueled his commitment to the cause, emphasizing the urgent need for action to address gun violence, particularly among children. Tennessee ranks as the third-highest state in the nation for kids involved in firearm-related incidents. Cruse pointed out that states with stronger firearm storage laws tend to have lower rates of such incidents, making safe gun storage a critical focus.
He also shed light on the fact that Tennessee’s firearm suicide rate is 50% higher than the national average, underscoring the importance of proactive measures in preventing gun-related tragedies. The conversation also touched on the alarming statistics surrounding firearm thefts in Tennessee, particularly in Memphis, which has the highest number of stolen firearms in the state, followed closely by Nashville and Chattanooga.
Cruse emphasized that Voices for a Safer Tennessee is not a “gun-grabbing” organization but one that actively supports the Second Amendment while advocating for common-sense policies to promote safety. The coalition, which includes thousands of responsible gun owners—including hunters, veterans, first responders, and active military personnel—seeks to foster a collaborative and purpose-driven approach to solving the gun violence crisis. Key policy recommendations include:
Expanded Background Checks: Closing loopholes on private sales to ensure that firearms don’t end up in the wrong hands.
Secure Storage of Firearms: Advocating for stronger laws to encourage safe storage, especially since many school shootings involve guns taken from relatives’ or friends’ homes, or unsecured firearms stolen from vehicles.
Establishing a Temporary Transfer Process: A law already enacted in 21 states that has shown to reduce firearm suicides by up to 14% in states with the longest implementation periods.
Cruse highlighted the organization’s legislative accomplishments, which aim to balance the right to bear arms with practical solutions for public safety.
Rotarian Rhee Perry introduced the program.
