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Can Country Music Help To Change Gun Laws In Tennessee?

(Hypebot) — 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.

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Martina Birk

Update: 2024-08-12