Nebraskans Against Gun Violence
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Nebraskans Against Gun Violence (NAGV) is a
political advocacy Advocacy is an Action (philosophy), activity by an individual or advocacy group, group that aims to influence decision making, decisions within political, economic, and social institutions. Advocacy includes activities and publications to infl ...
organization headquartered in
Lincoln, Nebraska Lincoln is the List of capitals in the United States, capital city of the U.S. state of Nebraska. The city covers and had a population of 291,082 as of the 2020 census. It is the state's List of cities in Nebraska, second-most populous city a ...
with a mission "to support evidence based
firearm A firearm is any type of gun that uses an explosive charge and is designed to be readily carried and operated by an individual. The term is legally defined further in different countries (see legal definitions). The first firearms originate ...
policy." It advocates for safe storage of firearms and policies intended to make firearms inaccessible to children. Founded in 2014, NAGV was incorporated as a
nonprofit organization A nonprofit organization (NPO), also known as a nonbusiness entity, nonprofit institution, not-for-profit organization, or simply a nonprofit, is a non-governmental (private) legal entity organized and operated for a collective, public, or so ...
in 2015.


Activity

NAGV views gun violence as a
public health Public health is "the science and art of preventing disease, prolonging life and promoting health through the organized efforts and informed choices of society, organizations, public and private, communities and individuals". Analyzing the de ...
crisis and supports the funding of research, community programming, education, and policy to reduce gun violence. Group members advocate with legislators, write Op-eds, organize events, and appear as speakers at vigils memorializing victims of school shootings, asking for rules to prevent kids from bringing guns to schools. NAGV opposed a 2022 proposal to legalize carrying of a concealed handgun without a permit, and opposed a 2021 proposal by governor
Pete Ricketts John Peter Ricketts (born August 19, 1964) is an American businessman and politician serving as the Seniority in the United States Senate, junior United States Senate, United States senator from Nebraska since 2023. A member of the Republican Part ...
to make Nebraska a pro-gun "sanctuary state." NAGV representatives were invited to meet with US presidents
Barack Obama Barack Hussein Obama II (born August 4, 1961) is an American politician who was the 44th president of the United States from 2009 to 2017. A member of the Democratic Party, he was the first African American president in American history. O ...
in 2016 and
Joe Biden Joseph Robinette Biden Jr. (born November 20, 1942) is an American politician who was the 46th president of the United States from 2021 to 2025. A member of the Democratic Party (United States), Democratic Party, he served as the 47th vice p ...
in 2022 as a part of their administrations' gun control policy efforts. The group is critical of the
National Rifle Association of America The National Rifle Association of America (NRA) is a gun rights advocacy group based in the United States. Founded in 1871 to advance rifle marksmanship, the modern NRA has become a prominent Gun politics in the United States, gun rights ...
's political influence. NAGV opposed a plan in which the
Omaha Police Department The Omaha Police Department (OPD) is the principal law enforcement agency of the city of Omaha, Nebraska, United States. It is nationally accredited by the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies. The OPD is the largest law en ...
agreed to trade expired ballistic helmets and bulletproof gear to a local business called 88 Tactical, in exchange for rifle
magazine A magazine is a periodical literature, periodical publication, print or digital, produced on a regular schedule, that contains any of a variety of subject-oriented textual and visual content (media), content forms. Magazines are generally fin ...
s. The number 88 is used by white supremacists to stand for ''
Heil Hitler The Nazi salute, also known as the Hitler salute, or the ''Sieg Heil'' salute, is a gesture that was used as a greeting in Nazi Germany. The salute is performed by extending the right arm from the shoulder into the air with a straightened han ...
''. According to the
Southern Poverty Law Center The Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC) is an American 501(c)(3) nonprofit legal advocacy organization specializing in civil rights and public interest litigation. Based in Montgomery, Alabama, it is known for its legal cases against white ...
, NAGV executive director Melody Vaccaro believes this racist allusion and other white nationalist symbols are used by 88 Tactical intentionally. The proposed trade was removed from the Omaha City Council agenda following NAGV's objections. Omaha police and 16 other Nebraska police departments did not submit reports on
domestic violence Domestic violence is violence that occurs in a domestic setting, such as in a marriage Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognised union between people called spouses. It establishes r ...
, as required by law, from 2014 through 2019. NAGV discovered the missing reports when compiling statewide statistics involving firearms.


References

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External links


Nebraskans Against Gun Violence
official website Gun control advocacy groups in the United States Non-profit organizations based in Nebraska