This week, Safer TN presented a webinar on suicide prevention. The statistics are shocking: Our state’s rate of suicide by firearm is nearly 50% higher than the national average. Rural residents and military veterans are particularly at risk, and more children and teens are having suicidal ideations.
It is clear that mental health plays an important role in suicide, mass shootings, and some other forms of firearm violence. But it is not an either/or proposition. Easy access to firearms is also a major factor. We need to address both.
During our webinar, we learned Tennessee has a shortage of mental health professionals, especially outside of metropolitan areas, and state policies make it very difficult to keep firearms out of the hands of those who are at risk of self-harm. One of our panelists, Penny Anderson of the veterans’ service nonprofit Operation Stand Down, said delaying access to a firearm for as little as 10 minutes can give the distraught person a chance to reconsider and get help.
Observations by panelists, who all have frequent firsthand experience with people in crisis, underscore the importance of three policies that Safer TN espouses: secure storage of firearms, temporary transfer of firearms from those at risk of harming themselves or others, and expanded background checks.
The webinar also reminded us of our shared humanity. Panelist Annette Lake, who lost both her son and her father to suicide by firearm within a year, said she has found solace in her friends’ support. Now she is giving back as an advocate for suicide prevention and for fellow survivors.
Another of our panelists, Judge Eddie Lauderback, spoke of the devastation and social disruption caused by Hurricane Helene in the northeast corner of the state where he lives. The underlying message from both Ms. Lake and Judge Lauderback was clear: We need each other.
That is a core value of Safer TN – that we are in this together for all Tennesseans, regardless of where they live, how they vote, or what they look like.
I hope you will take the time to watch the video of this enlightening webinar and read more about it in the Policy Update elsewhere in this newsletter. And if you or someone you know is struggling with thoughts of suicide, know that help is available. Call or text 988, then press 0 for 24/7 free and confidential support. Visit preventsuicidetn.org to learn about resources available in your area.
Together, we can make changes in our own lives and in our state policies that will make a difference. Thank you for being part of this effort.
And please keep our neighbors in East Tennessee and the Carolinas in your thoughts and prayers. Here is a resource to find opportunities to lift up and support communities in need.
With gratitude,
Claudia Huskey
Executive Director
Voices for a Safer Tennessee
Safer TN in Chattanooga
On Tuesday, Oct. 1, the Safer TN team traveled to Chattanooga to learn more about the work of Chattanooga’s Office of Community Safety and Gun Violence Prevention, and partner on a presentation to the Missionary Ridge Neighborhood Association on community safety. Led by Chris Sands, Chattanooga’s Gun Violence Prevention Team is doing innovative work in the schools and on the streets with violence interventionists, “chain breakers” with lived experience who can counsel wayward juveniles, and victim service advocates. Read more about their unique approach here.
Safer TN Advisory Board Members Sen. Bill Frist & Dr. Clay Stauffer Talk Firearm Safety
On Wednesday, Oct. 2, Senator Bill Frist joined Dr. Clay Stauffer at Woodmont Christian Church in Nashville where they discussed Senator Frist’s views on government and partisanship in politics, what gives him hope for the future, and why they both believe Voices for a Safer Tennessee is making a real difference in moving the needle on firearm safety. You can watch their discussion here.
Solutions and Takeaways from Safer TN’s Suicide Prevention Webinar:
To mark the conclusion of National Suicide Prevention Month, a diverse panel of Tennesseans shared their deeply personal stories and expert insights to confront the alarming reality of Tennessee’s rising suicide rate.
The key takeaways from the discussion included:
- The need for awareness of the 988 Suicide and Crisis Prevention Lifeline and other mental health resources in Tennessee.
- The vital importance of securely storing firearms in a locked compartment or with a cable or trigger lock to prevent access for those in a mental health crisis. Delaying access by as little as 10 minutes can be the difference in saving a life.
- Exploring the feasibility of temporary transfer laws or other legal mechanisms to temporarily remove firearms from individuals in crisis.
- Expanding background check requirements for firearm purchases to prevent purchase by those who have been involuntarily committed and are at risk of harming themselves.
- Encouraging open conversations within families and communities about mental health, firearm safety and suicide prevention.
Click here to watch a recording of the webinar.
Safer TN’s policy director Erin Rogus appeared on WATE-TV Knoxville to discuss the impact of firearm suicide on Tennesseans, and the policy changes that can make a difference.
The Voter Registration Deadline is October 7
All 99 state representatives and 16 of the 33 state senators will be elected Nov. 5. These are the people who will set the course of our firearm laws in the next General Assembly. To vote in the Nov. 5 election, you must register to vote (or confirm that your registration is current) by this Monday, Oct. 7. Make sure all your eligible friends and family members are registered, too, and take advantage of our voter tool to research the candidates on your ballot.
Come See Us in Columbia on October 4
Our coalition members will be at First Fridays in Columbia on the evening of Friday, Oct. 4. Stop by our table to say hello and pick up some swag!
Violence Summit in Chattanooga on October 8
Chattanooga and Hamilton County agencies and schools are teaming up to present “One Community, One Mission,” a summit on violence in the community, from 9 a.m.-noon on Oct. 8 at Brainerd Crossroads-BX. Register here.
October 23 – Save the Date!
On Wednesday, October 23, at 6 p.m., Safer TN Board Chair Todd Cruse and Tennessee Firearms Association Executive Director John Harris will be sitting down for a spirited discussion on firearm safety and the Second Amendment, moderated by Belmont University Professor Vaughn May. The discussion is open to the community and will be held in Belmont University’s Janet Ayers Academic Center, Room 1034 (1st Floor) in Nashville. Parking is available in the garage under the Center. Registration link coming soon!
Tennessee has a firearm suicide rate that’s nearly 50% higher than the national average (Sycamore Institute).
Opinion: Parents, secure firearms to prevent tragedy. Gun violence is No. 1 killer of kids (The Tennessean, op-ed by Mark Proctor, retired captain of the Tennessee Department of Safety and Homeland Security)
“[T]here are preventive solutions we can implement that have been proven to save lives. It’s part of what the [Tennessee Highway Patrol] academy ingrained in us as state troopers. The first thing I did when I walked in my front door after work – even before I hugged my kids and asked them about their day – was to secure my firearm in my gun safe, making sure to store my ammunition separately. We know these simple secure storage behaviors are effective in reducing firearm injury and death.”
Podcast: Jeffrey Steele’s Monday Night in America – Safer TN Board Members Todd Cruse and Katy Dieckhaus talk firearm safety and share stories about Katy’s little girl Evelyn, a Covenant student who lost her life (starting at 26 minutes in).
Tennessee Homeland Security investigated 125 school threats in one week (WKRN)
‘One pistol clip can change the balance of power’: Congress is wholly unprepared for a mass casualty event (Politico)
How the Supreme Court Broadened the Second Amendment (The Trace)