Can Country Music enact Common Sense Gun Control? 60 top artists pledge to try
Emmylou Harris, Sheryl Crow, Amy Grant, Kacey Musgraves, Jason Isbell, Maren Morris, Margo Price, Kelsea Ballerini, and dozens of other top Nashville musicians have signed a letter and met with Tennesse lawmakers to call for common sense gun legislation.
The letter calls for stronger extreme risk protection laws that allow a judge to temporarily remove a person’s access to guns when there is evidence that they pose a serious risk and the strengthening requirements for securing the storage of firearms. It was drafted after the deadly Covenant School shooting last month.
Other musicians and fans can sign on in support here.
[Full text of the letter and list of signatories below.]
The letter
To Governor Bill Lee and the Tennessee State Legislature:
Here in Nashville, we care about our community, and we look after one another. Some of us are parents, some of us are gun owners, and some of us love to hunt. While we may come from different backgrounds, we all chose Nashville as our musical home, and we’ve built our lives around that. We love this city, and we’re writing to you because we’re concerned.
The tragic shooting at The Covenant School hit us hard. It was a tragedy that shouldn’t have happened. Those families should be enjoying dinner together tonight, but instead, they are grieving, burying their children, or staring at empty chairs around the table. This shooting was preventable.
We all believe it’s time for you to pass common sense gun safety legislation to protect our loved ones. We need to put the safety of our children above politics and special interests. We appreciate Governor Lee taking steps towards creating a safer community against gun violence, however we believe these are only the first steps in improving the safety for our children and Tennesseans. It’s time for you to pass effective measures that will keep guns out of dangerous hands before the shooting starts.
Gun violence in Tennessee is not inevitable. We are not hopeless, and we will not accept inaction. This does not have to be our normal and we ask that you stand with us! We know that gun safety laws work. Policies like extreme risk protection laws and secure storage of firearms, can save lives. And we ask that you keep your session open until these policies are put into place.
Sincerely,
Allison Moorer
Allison Russell
Amy Grant
Ben Folds
Ben Rector
Brandy Clark
Brittany Howard
Brittney Spencer
Charlie Worsham
Devon Gilfillian
Drew & Ellie Holcomb
Emmylou Harris
Gabe Simon
Hayes Carll
Jason Isbell
Jars of Clay
Jess Ray
Jimi Westbrook
John Tibbs
Kacey Musgraves
Karen Fairchild
Kelsea Ballerini
Kelsey Waldon
Ketch Secor
Langhorn Slim
Leah Blevins
Lola Kirke
Lucie Silvas
Lucinda Williams
Lydia Luce
Madeline Edwards
Maggie Rose
Margaret Becker
Margo Price
Maren Morris
Martina McBride
Mat Kearney
Matt Maher
Maxi Diaz
Michelle Branch
Mickey Guyton
Miko Marks
Nick Howard
Patrick Carney
Paul McDonald
Rodney Crowell
Ron Pope
Ruby Amanfu
Ruston Kelly
Ryan Hurd
Sarah Buxton
Sarah Jarosz
Shane McAnally
Sheryl Crow
Sierra Hull
Sista Strings
Sixpence None the Richer
The Brook & the Bluff
The Cadillac Three
The Wood Brothers
TJ Osborne
Will Hoge
Bruce Houghton is the Founder and Editor of Hypebot and MusicThinkTank, a Senior Advisor at Bandsintown, President of the Skyline Artists Agency, and a professor for the Berklee College Of Music.
