June 25, 2024
I’m a gun violence prevention advocate, and as long as I’m on the planet, I am going to fight for a future without gun violence for all of us.
In April of 2022, I was hired as Texas Gun Sense’s Executive Director. I’d learned during a decade of advocacy that gun violence takes many forms — the mass shootings that hit national headlines (Texas has seen too many) and the daily violence that is so common that it receives little media attention.
I knew we faced an uphill climb, but I believed then and still believe now that the work to end gun violence, especially in tough states like Texas, is incremental. And that work — one step forward, two steps back — IS WORTH IT.
On May 24, 2022, the tragic news from Uvalde hit, and moments later, news requests began to pour in, asking us to give voice to something unspeakable.
In July, with that nightmare still fresh, our founder and I traveled to the White House to join advocates, leaders, and survivors from across the country in celebrating the passage of the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act. There is still much more work ahead, but I rejoiced in the passage of that legislation, because if change is possible at the federal level, it’s possible here, too.
My first two years as the leader of Texas Gun Sense amidst so much tragedy have been tough. But I have also witnessed unprecedented progress: from the bipartisan committee vote in the Texas Legislature to raise the age to 21 to purchase types of semi-automatic rifles, to the passage of a safe gun storage education bill we worked on.
Our coalition worked together to bring hundreds of advocates to the Capitol in 2023 and made this progress possible.
Together with our supporters, Texas Gun Sense is building a path to common sense policies like safe gun storage requirements and raising the age to 21. Our movement will continue to bring people together, amplify the voices that we need our leaders to hear, and raise awareness across our state.
Today, as we mark the passage of the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act that the gun safety movement made possible, I ask for your support to help us continue to build a path forward to a safer Texas.
With endless gratitude,
Nicole Golden
Executive Director
PS: This is work that can only be done together. You make it possible, and your donation will fuel the movement. Thank you again!