The deadliest school shooting in Georgia state history occurred last month, highlighting the unique danger faced by those living in states where there is little leadership on prevention of armed violence. People in red states are much more likely to be killed by guns than those in blue states. This is a shocking statistic that seems counterintuitive – but is nevertheless completely true. Vice President Harris’ gun violence prevention agenda may be the most life-saving plan for people in red states.

The tragic result of years of refusal by state legislators (especially those in red states) to implement common-sense measures to prevent gun violence is clear. Today, nine of the ten states with the highest gun death rates are deeply red, such as Mississippi which ranks first in the nation for the highest gun death rate, with 29 .7 per 100,000 Mississippians killed by gunfire last year. Conversely, among states with the lowest gun death rates, nine of ten states are blue.

Residents of Rhode Island, for example, are 10 times less likely to be shot and killed than residents of Mississippi. Simply put, blue states are much more effective at protecting the public from dangerous individuals with guns because they have researched and implemented solutions. The difference in gun violence prevention efforts between red states and blue states is extreme and quantifiable: Seventeen of the 21 states that have passed red flag laws have or have had state-controlled legislatures. Democrats, two are swing states (Nevada and Michigan) and only two, Florida. and Indiana are red states. In states without warning laws, people who observe signs of predictable gun violence cannot use the law to prevent a gun violence tragedy and must instead wait until a tragedy occurs.

Leading the White House Office of Gun Violence Prevention, Vice President Harris developed a gun violence prevention agenda centered on whistleblowing laws because they work. Alert laws, also known as gun violence restraining orders (GVRO) or extreme risk protection orders (ERPO), allow certain people, usually a family member or the forces of order, to intervene in a crisis by requesting a court order to temporarily remove access. firearms of a gun owner who could harm themselves or someone else.

My state, California, was one of the first states in the country to pass a red flag law almost a decade ago following a shooting outside UC Santa Barbara . Since then, my office, in conjunction with the San Diego Police Department, has obtained more GVROs than any other city in the United States, which is sobering. GVROs helped us get 3,700 guns off the streets and out of the hands of dangerous individuals. Since 2017, we have created response systems and infrastructure that ensure we can quickly disarm dangerous situations. This is one of the reasons why San Diego is one of the safest big cities in America.

The current Supreme Court, often considered the most pro-gun in our nation’s history, recently ruled that whistleblower laws are constitutional and do not infringe on Second Amendment rights. The 29 states without warning laws, including Georgia, should pass warning laws immediately. In March, the Biden-Harris administration announced $750 million in federal funding to implement state crisis response programs, which include alert programs.

These funds can be used to train court and court personnel in whistleblowing procedures, to educate family members so they know what they can do when they see warning signs, and to train first responders to recognize the signs of crisis. All states with red flag laws should use this funding to ensure the effective implementation of this very powerful crisis response tool.

The power to offer more than thoughts and prayers lies with those of us who have the courage to accept it.

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