ABSTRACT
More than 45,200 people died from being shot in the United States in 2020. The first two months of 2022 counted more than 6,800 gun deaths; death by gun violence is steadily increasing in the United States. Moms Demand Action (MDA) is the largest grassroots organization in the United States devoted to reducing gun violence in the country. Begun by one woman inspired by the 2012 Sandy Hook Elementary School massacre, the MDA has more than 6 million members nationwide who take direct action to stop the violence by, among other things, lobbying their state legislators, attending state legislature sessions to speak to their common-sense gun regulation, working to elect state and national legislators who support gun regulation, and working with related organizations to spread their message. The woman who started MDA with a single Facebook page is a public relations practitioner. Her knowledge and skill with the practice provides a strategic plan with effective tactics that grew the organization into the powerhouse it is today.
