Billboard's Open Letter on Gun Violence

Billboard's Open Letter on Gun Violence, also known as Billboard's Open Letter and officially An Open Letter to Congress: Stop Gun Violence Now, was a petition for gun control organized by Billboard magazine, signed by nearly 200 prominent musical artists and entertainment industry executives, and sent to the United States Congress on June 23, 2016, for the purpose of reducing gun violence.^[1] The open letter referred to recent shooting deaths: first of singer Christina Grimmie on June 10, and then the homophobic killing of 49 people at the Pulse nightclub shooting two days later—both incidents occurring in Orlando, Florida. The petition demanded that US lawmakers enact a universal background check of every gun buyer prior to purchase, and that "suspected terrorists" be banned from buying guns.^[2] Billboard's open letter supported the House of Representatives sit-in protest led by Democratic Party members on June 22.^[3]

The first artist to sign Billboard's petition was Joan Jett, followed by Lady Gaga.^[3] Other signees included Barbra Streisand, Britney Spears, Katy Perry, Billy Joel, Stevie Nicks, Alicia Keys and Sting.^[4]^[5]^[6] Ex-Beatles Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr signed, along with Yoko Ono. Grimmie's friend Selena Gomez signed the document.^[7]

Country music artist Charlie Daniels responded by opposing the open letter, saying that "bad people are bad people, and you cannot clean up anything by taking guns away."^[8] Country musicians who signed the open letter against gun violence included Rosanne Cash, Elle King, k.d. lang, Cam, the Dixie Chicks, Bonnie Raitt and Melissa Etheridge.^[9] Gun control activist Shannon Watts said that background checks on handgun sales have worked to reduce gun violence in 18 US states.^[10]

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Billboard's Open Letter on Gun Violence

List of signees, in published order

References

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