Media Should Keep In Mind Importance Of Gun Violence Prevention For Latino Voters

*There’s a not-so-obvious upside to the President’s action on gun control, he’s using the bully pulpit to steer attention away from the NRA’s domination of the narrative and the headlines. It also provides space to raise the issue of guns as a Latino concern along with education, health, jobs and, oh yeah, somewhere on that list, immigration.  The Violence Policy Center reports that “more than 47,000 Hispanics were killed with guns in the United States between 1999 and 2013.” That’s 3000 per year, of which 67% are homicides. The number elevates guns and gun control to a prominent position on the list of U.S. Latino issues. Latinos should speak to the issue from that perspective, and Latino gun advocates should make their voices heard as well, 44 percent of  Latino voters say that most Americans should be able to own a gun if certain limits are in place while 62 percent say they prefer gun control over gun rights. VL

By Cristina Lopez, Media Matters for America

Media should highlight the importance that gun violence prevention measures have on Latinos when reporting on President Obama’s executive actions designed to address the issue. The issue of gun violence particularly impacts Latinos — who widely support gun violence prevention measures — since Latinos are disproportionately affected by fatal shootings despite being less likely to own guns themselves.

President Obama Unveils Executive Actions To Address Gun Violence

The New York Times: President Obama Announced Executive Actions Aimed At Preventing “Deaths From Firearms.” On January 5, The New York Times reported that President Obama announced that he’s “taking executive action to try and prevent deaths from firearms.” As reported by The Times:

President Obama gathered gun control activists and the families of gun victims in the White House East Room on Tuesday for a formal announcement that he is taking executive action to try and prevent deaths from firearms.

Mr. Obama is seeking to expand the number of gun buyers who are subject to criminal background checks by clarifying existing law. He said he will also hire more personnel to process background checks, direct officials to conduct more gun research, encourage more domestic violence prosecutions and order better tracking of lost guns, officials said. [The New York Times, 1/5/15]

Click HERE to read the full story.