Keeping Guns Out Of Unsafe Hands

Yetide Badaki
Actress. Producer, Activist
Safer Country Advisory Committee Honorary Chairperson
Click here to see Yetide Badaki’s Safer Country video.

A Message from Founder/Executive Director Paul A. Friedman, JD

Welcome to Safer Country!

Safer Country recognizes that nearly 400 million guns are owned by nearly 85 million people, so we are focused on keeping guns out of unsafe hands. For example, we persuaded Fairfax County to help us create a Red Flag law public awareness campaign. Together we created one and then Safer Country brought it to the City of Alexandria. In addition to public awareness campaigns, we develop and seek to advance creative legislation and projects where we can be uniquely effective. Scroll down to see more on Safer Country’s Red Flag law campaign.

Every year, approximately 250,000 guns are stolen from gun owners and firearms dealers. Most are from cars and criminals have admitted that they look for cars that have stickers or license plates that suggest the owner likes guns. Too often those cars are unlocked and/or the guns inside them are not in a locked compartment that is hard to break. That’s why Safer Country is championing a Virginia law to prevent gun thefts from cars, and reduce the number of road rage incidents at the same time. It’s time to get tough on crime by passing laws to prevent such thefts!

“When children die, grief is exponential.” – The Washington Post

Since 2020, gunfire has been the leading cause of death for children and teens. According to the Gun Violence Archive, of the 5,151 children and teenagers under 18 who were shot in 2024, 1,403 died. That is more than 70 Sandy Hook mass shootings in one year given that 20 children were murdered that day. Stunningly, although suicides among children are on the rise, the Trump Administration just shut down the special suicide hot line for LGBTQ+ children. We must end the mass murder of children!

For the last year where numbers are available, 2023, the CDC reported that 46,728 died from a gunshot. 58%, or 27,300, were classified as suicides. 38%, or 17,927, were classified as homicides. 463 were classified as accidents and another 434 were unable to be classified. The statistics also show that, by and large, the states with stronger gun tragedy prevention laws and that are grouped together in the northeast, have the lowest homicide rates. Scroll down to see a list of some of Safer Country’s Solutions.

Facing the crisis head on, in 2022, President Joseph Biden’s administration passed the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act, the first major federal gun violence prevention law in 30 years. It dedicated $1.4 billion and enacted smart policies to attack it. It focused on enhancing background checks, particularly for individuals under 21, and closed a dangerous loophole. It also supported state crisis intervention programs, addressed domestic violence, and included provisions to combat gun trafficking and straw purchasing. Ten Republican Senators voted for it primarily because it dedicated $750 million to mental health care, including special courts, school-based mental health services, and mental health training for professionals.

The Biden administration also created the first White House Office of Gun Violence Prevention, established a research center at John Hopkins University, and strengthened the ATF, which licenses and monitors federal firearms dealers.

Safer Country opposes President Donald Trump’s efforts to roll back these bipartisan advances in order to put more guns in the hands of criminals.

Trump is doing serious damage to our nation.

He has redirected the work of the ATF to prevent it from effectively regulating gun stores, which includes tracking gun sales for use by law enforcement when investigating gun crimes.

He has taken money back from the mental health fund ($750 million) and community violence intervention programs ($250 million), even though it violates the law and is being challenged in court.

He has removed hundreds of thousands of names from the background check system and is making it far easier for convicted felons to get their gun rights back.

He is in the process of eliminating the National Firearms Act of 1934, which has severely limited access to machine guns, short-barreled rifles, shotguns, and silencers. Its passage was partly a response to the gang violence by people such as Al Capone and the infamous St. Valentine’s Day Massacre.

There is certainly much more this to come.

Safer Country opposes Trump’s pardoning of armed violent criminals because they fought to help him overthrow the 2020 Presidential election and his gutting of our nation’s ability to protect the public from armed right-wing extremist groups, such as the ones that helped him on January 6 – the Oath Keepers and the Proud Boys. Scroll down to see more on Trump and armed extremist groups.

As a result of all of the above, the gun violence prevention community has a tremendous challenge ahead of it. More than ever, we must unite with the people to fight back in the courts and with our votes so we can create a safer country. Join us!

Safer Country is a 501(c)(3). Contributions are tax deductible to the fullest extent of the law.

ED Paul Friedman in the community and in the news.

May 4, 2025 Gun Violence Prevention Panel Discussion led by Josh Horowitz of Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School for Public Health Center for Gun Violence Solutions (CGVS), which featured VA Del. Marcus Simon, CGVS Advocacy Manager Lori Haas, and Safer Country ED Paul Friedman.

March 25, 2025 article on Governor Glenn Youngkin’s veto of a bill limiting transfers of guns in domestic violence situations quoting Safer Country ED, Paul Friedman

URGENT: If you feel concerned about your mental health and are in need of special help, call 988, the SUICIDE & CRISIS LIFELINE.

Donate Now!

President Donald J. Trump is a convicted criminal who is undermining the ability of law enforcement to protect people from right-wing extremists with guns.

On October 12, 2022, AP reported that, “A member of the Oath Keepers who traveled to Washington before the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol testified Wednesday about a massive cache of weapons the far-right extremist group stashed in a Virginia hotel room.”

On January 30, 2025, NPR reported that, “On his first day in office, President Donald Trump granted clemency to every person charged or convicted for their role in the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol, even those convicted of violently assaulting police officers.”

On March 21, 2025, Reuters reported that, “The FBI has cut staffing in an office focused on domestic terrorism and has scrapped a tool used to track such investigations, in a shift that could undermine law enforcement’s ability to counter white supremacists and anti-government extremists, according to sources familiar with the matter.” We must oppose President Donald Trump’s support for domestic terrorists.

On June 10, 2025, CTInsight (CT – Counter Terrorism) reported that:

With federal resources diverted from far-right extremism, The Base plans new paramilitary training amid rising violence in Ukraine and the United States

An international neo-Nazi terrorist organisation known as The Base is once again gaining ground in the United States, emboldened by a political climate increasingly indifferent to the threat posed by far-right extremism. The group, once dismantled through coordinated arrests by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, is now preparing for a new paramilitary training event on American soil — without fear of federal intervention.

Founded in 2018 by Rinaldo Nazzaro, a former Pentagon contractor now residing in Russia, The Base openly promotes violence, racial separatism, and the creation of a white ethnostate. According to counter-terrorism analysts, the group is actively recruiting new members in the United States, Ukraine, and across Europe. With federal agencies apparently deprioritising investigations into right-wing extremism, The Base has been able to regroup and expand its operations with alarming confidence.

Safer Country is determined to be creative in tackling these crises and more. We engage the public, partner with other organizations, and work with good elected officials to take action. We are working on two projects right now, but due to the sensitive nature of them, they can’t be spelled out here.

Safer Country Is Succeeding!!!

Safer Country’s temporary firearms removal (also known as red flag) laws public awareness campaign has successfully launched in Fairfax County! The above photo features Fairfax County’s Board Chair Jeff McKay, Safer Country’s Founder/Executive Director Paul Friedman, Supervisor and Public Safety Chair Rodney Lusk, and Commonwealth’s Attorney Steve Descano at a press event on September 20, 2022.

Working together, Fairfax County and Safer Country introduced a bus sign with Safer County’s campaign message, “Prevent A Gun Tragedy – SPEAK UP!” in 344 Fairfax County Connector buses. The bus signs are in English and Spanish and have a QR code and webpage for people to use to get the info they need to prevent a gun tragedy and save lives.

Learn about the Gun Violence & ERPO (Extreme Risk Protection Order) Study.

This study was commissioned by The Joyce Foundation.

Fairfax County Red Flag Data Dashboard

It’s now a model for other jurisdictions seeking to apply for 2022 Bipartisan Safer Communities Act federal funds, via state agencies, to create, facilitate, and promote temporary firearms removal laws.

BREAKING NEWS: The City of Alexandria’s DASH bus system now features our public awareness campaign signs!

Red Flag Laws Save Lives!

The laws empower people to intervene to prevent a gun tragedy. Studies have shown a minimum of one in ten interventions saves lives. This law has proven effective in preventing suicides, domestic violence gun use, and mass shootings.

It creates the opportunity to get a civil court order to temporarily remove from the subject of the order all their guns and bar that person from possessing any guns. The initial decision by a judge is based upon proof of probable cause that the subject is a danger to themselves or others.

In Virginia, within 14 days, a full hearing is required to determine if that order should be extended. Clear and convincing evidence must be provided at that stage. If the state succeeds in its case, the court may bar access to guns for up to 180 days with the option of an extension upon a new motion.

Details about red flag laws all over the country may be found on our Programs webpage and on Wikipedia’s red flag law page, including a reference to Safer Country’s work.

A Red Flag Law and an NFL Player

There have been great success stories, such as former NFL player Richard Sherman, whose life was saved by the use of a red flag law. He’s now a Host on Amazon’s Thursday Night Football show.

Answers to FAQ’s

1) This isn’t a criminal law. It’s a civil court order, so it’s not about proving someone is guilty. It’s about intervening to prevent a gun tragedy.

2) For the court order to be issued, evidence must be presented to a judge. It is insufficient to simply make an assertion that someone is a danger to themselves or others.

3) The first temporary firearms removal law passed in Connecticut in 1999 and was called a risk warrant. It’s now called a risk protection order. In all that time, even though it’s been opposed by the infamous NRA, it has not been found unconstitutional.

Speak Up!

We are also working to encourage jurisdictions without the law to pass it and use our campaign to get people to speak up to people in authority they trust.

Whether or not there’s a law to temporarily firearms removal law in a state or not, getting the word out about a person who has, or intends to get, a gun, and is a danger to themselves or others, may save lives.

Safer Country is committed to empowering the public to keep guns out of unsafe hands.

Safer Country leverages government to effectively implement gun safety laws and works to create, advocate for, and pass needed laws.

As a 501(c)(3), contributions to Safer Country are tax deductible to the maximum extent of the law.

Executive Director Paul A. Friedman

Safer Country · P.O. Box 372 · Alexandria, VA 22313-0372

Guns Became the Leading Cause of Death for American Children and Teens in 2020

Safer Country is especially outraged by a newly-created AR-15 that was made for children under 5. It’s called a JR-15 and is being marketed so children will beg their parents for it. This isn’t satire. It’s real.

Safer Country Solutions

Safer Country supports effective measures to prevent gun tragedies and crimes, such as:

closing the loopholes in our national firearms background check system
supporting state firearms background check systems
restricting the sale and possession of all military-style assault weapons, except for use by law enforcement and the military
limiting high-capacity magazines to enable the interruption of a mass shooting during reloading
requiring serial numbers on every weapon produced to prevent criminals from using “ghost” guns to escape accountability
partnering with the National Black Movie Association on gun tragedy prevention films
passing safer/secure firearms and ammunition storage laws to prevent negligent deaths, particularly to children, and theft, which increases the supply of illegal guns
creating Safer Country Security Grants to protect lawful investigators of right-wing extremists and extremist groups
advocating for government action to monitor and protect the nation from right-wing extremists and extremist groups

MRI studies show brains are not fully developed before the age of 25. Putting weapons in the hands of people under 25 is highly dangerous.

An article by John Sommers-Flanagan, Professor, Counselor Education, University of Montana, and clinical psychologist supports this.

Please join Safer Country’s advocacy and educational efforts by making a tax-deductible donation today!

Together we WILL create a Safer Country.

Our Mission

Safer Country is dedicated to keeping guns out of unsafe hands.

Our Challenge

The NRA and Second Amendment extremists have blocked action at the national, state and local levels for many years. We must also face the reality that the public continues to buy guns in large numbers, endangering itself in the process. As well, it doesn’t know about the laws that could help reduce gun tragedies.

Our Work

Safer Country educates and advocates to the public and policy makers to promote the passage and effective implementation of gun safety laws that can save lives.

Critically, we also push government officials to track the success of these laws and report on them.

Help Safer Country educate and advocate to effectively pass and implement gun safety laws that can protect lives.

Together, we will create a safer country!

Safer Country is a 501(c)(3) educational and advocacy nonprofit organization. Contributions are tax-deductible to the maximum extent of the law.

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Contact Information

To contribute by mail or to contact us:

Paul A. Friedman, JD
Founder/Executive Director
Safer Country
P.O. Box 372
Alexandria, VA 22313-0372
info@safercountry.org