On January 31, 2018, Kristin and Mike Song's 15-year-old son Ethan Song, accidentally shot and killed himself at his friend's house. They were handling a gun they knew was kept in a bedroom closet. The gun was one of three guns owned by the friend's father. They were in a cardboard box inside a tupperware container that was hidden in a bedroom closet. The guns had locks but the keys and ammunition were in the same box.
The son was charged with manslaughter. The dad was not charged. There was a loophole in Connecticut's law. The Song's channeled their grief into political action that led to "Ethan's Law."
Today, we talk about how citizens can use their power of self-government to make change happen at a time when so many of us feel powerless.
GUESTS:
- Mike & Kristin Song - parents and gun control activists who spearheaded the passage of a bipartisan gun safety bill called “Ethan’s Law.” They founded the Ethan Miller Song Foundation. Kristin in an attorney. Mike is the CEO of GetControl.net
- Eric Liu - Co-founder and CEO of Citizen University. He's the author of several books, including You’re More Powerful Than You Think: A Citizen’s Guide to Making Change Happen; and most recently, Become America: Civic Sermons on Love, Responsibility, and Democracy.
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Colin McEnroe and Chion Wolf contributed to this show.
