It’s a tragically familiar scenario:  A gunman kills multiple innocent civilians in a shooting spree, reigniting a national debate about gun violence legislation.  The policy debate invariably ends in stasis, as political forces on both sides of the aisle fail to reach a compromise.
 
The twin tragedies of Dayton and El Paso, however, have given rise to the possibility of a breakthrough.  A bipartisan proposal that would encourage states to adopt “red flag” laws to take guns away from people believed to be dangers to themselves is gaining momentum in the Senate.  Offered by Sens. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) and Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), the plan has received support from President Trump, who said in a White House speech that those judged to pose a grave risk to society should be denied access to firearms.  Red flag laws authorize courts to issue protection orders that allow police to confiscate firearms from such people, as well as prohibiting them from buying new guns.
 
Gains on State Level
 
In the wake of last year’s mass shooting at a high school in Parkland, Florida, the number of states with red flag laws has jumped from just five to 17.  One of those states is California, whose law was enacted following a massacre at the University of California, Santa Barbara in 2014.  California permits family members to petition courts directly for confiscation orders.  A law recently passed in New York would allow teachers to petition the courts, as well.
 
Congress
 
The Graham-Blumenthal proposal would incentivize state red flag laws by offering states grants for passing them.  Significantly, though, the bill would not limit gun access at the federal level, which could be the key to its bipartisan appeal.  Republican senators normally predisposed against gun legislation are more likely to view favorably a measure that yields gun policy making to individual states.
 
Senate Democrats are largely united behind red flag laws, but a growing number of Republicans are joining them.  Senate Majority Whip John Thune (S.D.) has spoken optimistically about reaching bipartisan consensus on the issue, but eyes remained focused on Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (Kent.), who has not publicly taken a position on red flag laws.
 
The NRA
 
The National Rifle Association has voiced support for the goal of keeping guns away from dangerous people but has largely opposed state red flags until recently.  Citing threats to due process, the organization has objected to the confiscation of guns from people who have not committed crimes and may lose their guns without having a chance to be heard.  But the Parkland shooting has led to a change in the NRA’s tone, as they have begun to signal more openness toward such laws.
 
Implementation
 
The success of red flag laws depends not just on their passage, but on their implementation and on key details, such as who is allowed to file petitions.  Also, the matter of how law enforcement officials educate the public about pursuing such emergency legal options can tremendously impact their effectiveness.
 
But even as other gun measures, like expanded background checks, closing gun show loopholes, and an assault weapons ban once again come into focus, the red flag proposal stands the greatest chance of gaining political currency.  With bipartisan support growing in Congress and President Trump appearing to back the idea, the moment for forward progress toward reasonable gun legislation may soon be arriving.

Last May, I wrote a blog called “Grandmothers and The Fight Against Gun Violence,” which highlighted the important advocacy work seniors are doing to stem the tide of firearms violence. Since writing that blog, I have wondered about other issues that have spurred on senior advocacy throughout America. My first thought was there had to be seniors’ activism around global climate change. A threat to our planet as serious as climate change must have caused a spark in activism in the senior community, no?  Unsurprisingly I only had to perform a simple Google search to find countless articles and information regarding ways climate change has impacted older Americans and how they are fighting for a better environment.

So what is climate change?  The short answer: Climate change is an increase in the earth’s temperature which has caused sea levels to rise, ice masses to melt and highly concerning weather patterns to emerge. In addition, the U.S. Global Research Program concluded that human beings are the overwhelming cause of climate change, particularly because of the production of greenhouse gases.

Unfortunately, these dramatic changes in the earth’s climate can lead to dire consequences for older Americans.  According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), climate change conditions like extreme heat, poor air quality and hurricanes can be particularly problematic for seniors. All too often, seniors suffer from heart conditions and diabetes, which can be exacerbated because of the heat. Increasing temperatures also cause ticks and mosquitoes to increase their geographical reach and remain for longer periods of time. Older adults with already-weakened immune systems are at greater risk of being bitten by ticks and mosquitoes if rising temperatures continue. In addition, during hurricanes, seniors often need to be evacuated, which causes obvious obstacles.  Around half of the people who died for reasons related to Hurricane Katrina were over the age of 75, with people over 65 accounting for half of the fatalities during Superstorm Sandy.  

However, seniors are taking action! Predictably, older Americans are not advocating for their own self-interest, but speaking up for policies that protect the planet for future generations, like their grandchildren. Groups of senior citizens like Elders Climate Action (ECA) are strongly advocating for policies that will reduce greenhouse gas emissions. This group, consisting of 3,300 people, advocates their positions to members of Congress, gets their message out through social media and has monthly calls regarding ECA’s priorities. Furthermore, in 2017, ECA visited Washington DC, taking their message directly to the offices of every member of Congress, and participated in the People’s Climate March.

Given climate change’s devastating impact on our planet, how seriously is this crisis being taken by our elected officials?  As is always the case, the answer is a mixed bag.  The House of Representatives has taken encouraging steps by establishing the Select Committee on the Climate Crisis, which will help raise public awareness about climate change by holding hearings and organizing fact-finding trips. Sadly, some federally elected officials don’t believe action is required. Many politicians in Washington, D.C., despite scientific facts, have purposefully turned a blind eye towards climate change’s impact on our planet.  
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Like gun control, older Americans are picking up the slack for some of our elected officials, whose response on global climate change has been unacceptable. However, it’s nice to know we can count on the wisest people among us to lead the charge for a cleaner and better tomorrow.  

​Evan Carmen, Esq. is the Assistant Director for Aging Policy at the B’nai B’rith International Center for Senior Services. He holds a B.A. from American University in political science and a J.D. from New York Law School.  Prior to joining B’nai B’rith International he worked in the Office of Presidential Correspondence for the Obama White House, practiced as an attorney at Covington and Burling, LLP, worked as an aide for New York City Council Member Tony Avella and interned for Congressman Gary Ackerman’s office. Click here to read more from Evan Carmen.​​

On February 14 the gun debate in the United States was forever changed because of the terrible shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida. Since the shooting, teenagers from that high school and thousands of other students from across the country have strongly advocated for common sense gun reforms. Student activism should be strongly encouraged and applauded, as these young people are making their voices heard on a topic that has unfortunately touched the lives of countless people.  

Fortunately for these students they are not marching alone; grandmothers across the country have joined the fight for reasonable gun control measures. During the massive March for Our Lives protest, that saw hundreds of thousands of people take to the streets of Washington, D.C. and across the globe to protest gun violence; senior citizens were marching right alongside everyone else. In Washington, D.C. a group of grandmothers banded together to show their support. These grandmothers protested for two and half hours to condemn the National Rifle Association (NRA), support universal background checks and labeled themselves “grannies for gun control.” 

“We want to get people’s attention. So we made sure to include some signs that people might find upsetting. You know, things like ‘’bury guns, not kids.’ If that makes you uncomfortable, good,” Tina Hobson, one of the protesters, told the Washington Post.

Senior activism regarding gun control is nothing new. Grandmothers Against Gun Violence (GAGV), a group from Seattle, has been fighting since 2013 for gun reform.  Inspired by the tragic shooting in Newtown, Connecticut, Margaret Heldering, president of GAGV, and three of her friends (all grandmothers of kids 6 and 7 at the time) started GAGV in order to contribute to our national dialogue about gun control. Today,  GAGV has grown from four members to more than 700.  

GAGV’s work embodies the following principles: 1) Closing the gun sale loophole and requiring universal background checks on gun sales; 2) banning the sale of high capacity ammunition magazines; 3) banning the sale of military style assault weapons; and 4) safe storage of guns. Their accomplishments and passion for trying to bring about positive change is laudable. For instance, they have organized a mayoral debate in Seattle regarding gun violence, donated $10,000 to firearm research and have visited with law makers.

Gun violence impacts more than just our countries’ grandchildren, but also senior citizens. B’nai B’rith International serving as the largest national Jewish sponsor of subsidized housing in the United States, with 38 buildings in 28 communities, unfortunately has to train staff members of our buildings on active shooter drills. We have worked with the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and outside experts to teach our building’s staff members on best practices in the event of an active shooter. Staff members who attended, were able to create an emergency preparedness plan for potential active shooters in the building. “In the United States shootings don’t happen in a vacuum. Staff members who work for senior communities need to be trained on the proper procedures in case they are confronted with a potential active shooter. And training should not stop for when the shooter has been neutralized, buildings need to be aware of how traumatized residents will be and how best to respond with counseling,” B’nai B’rith International Center for Senior Services Associate Director Janel Doughten said.

Given the horrible impact that occurs in the United States from gun violence, I still can’t understand why groups like the National Rifle Association (NRA) take such a militant approach towards reasonable gun reform. These types of organizations like to point to the second amendment, and how gun control measures for military style assault weapons are an encroachment on people’s freedom. Let’s say for the sake of argument we accept the NRA’s position that the second amendment does allow someone to own a firearm. Okay, having said that, why can’t we have reasonable restrictions for weapons whose only purpose is for war? As noted above, GAGV has some pretty fair and reasonable restrictions on gun sales. Does anyone really need to own a military style weapon? Does it really violate the second amendment and impinge on people’s freedom to close the gun show loophole?
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While certain members of Congress’ response to gun violence over the years have been woefully inadequate, hopefully our elected representatives can learn from the oldest and youngest members of our society. It’s great that Americans are coming together like never before to make their voices heard regarding gun violence. Seniors and students have done a great job of pushing the gun reform movement, which has unfortunately been stagnant in Congress for far too long.   

​Evan Carmen, Esq. is the Assistant Director for Aging Policy at the B’nai B’rith International Center for Senior Services. He holds a B.A. from American University in political science and a J.D. from New York Law School.  Prior to joining B’nai B’rith International he worked in the Office of Presidential Correspondence for the Obama White House, practiced as an attorney at Covington and Burling, LLP, worked as an aide for New York City Council Member Tony Avella and interned for Congressman Gary Ackerman’s office. Click here to read more from Evan Carmen.