Former Arizona Congresswoman Gabby Giffords knows first hand about gun violence and the lasting impact it can have on a person, a community and a nation. In 2011, a mentally ill man shot Giffords in the head. She was not the only victim. Six of her constituents were also killed and 12 others were wounded during the shooting.
In 2013, two years after the Tucson shooting, the country faced the aftermath of another tragedy: the Sandy Hook Elementary shooting. Giffords and her husband, former astronaut Mark Kelly, knew something had to be done to curb gun violence in the Unites States. So, they launched Americans for Responsible Solutions to make a difference. One of the first calls they made was to Houston trial attorney Steve Mostyn.
Why? First, Steve Mostyn is a gun owner (he even has a shooting range on his ranch). And he is a strong supporter of the Second Amendment. But he also firmly believes that more can be done to reduce gun violence. Kelly, who knew Mostyn from his days working for NASA in Houston, was sure the mission of Americans for Responsible Solutions would resonate with Steve and Amber Mostyn, his wife and law partner.
The Mostyns agreed that change was needed. Quickly, they became deeply involved with Americans for Responsible Solutions and decided to have Steve join the political action committee as treasurer in 2013.
The reforms that Giffords, Kelly and the Mostyns’ seek are straightforward: a better background check system and stronger laws and stiffer penalties against gun trafficking.
As Steve explained in an interview with Bloomberg, “It’s time to stop the NRA from bullying common sense out of the discussion. There are more options than just ‘guns or no guns.”