People magazine is taking a stand on gun violence, and encouraging its readers to do the same.
The Oct. 19 issue of the entertainment magazine takes a sombre turn, profiling 31 people who have died this year from gun violence in the U.S. Alongside their stories is a list of 535 members of Congress, and the details of how to reach them, state-by-state.
“Call to action: here are the phone numbers of 535 voting members of the U.S. House and Senate,” the page reads.
“Ask your representative what they’re doing about gun violence in America, and let them know what you think.”
Each representative is listed with a phone number, an email address and Twitter handle.
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It’s an unusual turn for a magazine known for celebrity news and glitzy spreads of Hollywood mansions. Editorial Director Jess Cagle said it was time to do something to break the “routine” of gun violence in the U.S.
In his editor’s note, Cagle said the move was prompted by the Oct. 1 Oregon college shooting, when nine people were killed on campus by a lone gunman.
“It’s so heartbreaking and infuriating to think how many times over the years we’ve done exactly this—reaching out to victims’ families and survivors of mass shootings, gathering details about the fallen,” Cagle wrote.
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As a country, Cagle wrote, not enough is being done to stem the rampant gun violence and mass shootings taking the lives of more than 10,000 victims so far this year in the U.S.
“We need to know that our representatives in Washington, D.C., are looking for solutions and not giving up, and they need to know if we agree or disagree with their strategies.”
People magazine, founded in 1974, is a cashier checkout staple with a circulation of about 3.5 million.
On the magazine’s Facebook page, the top two comments on a post regarding the move was a prime example of how divisive the issue of gun control remains in the U.S.
“Lets tell Congress to leave our guns alone and do something about the mental health care system!” said the top post.
“You’d think from these comments that other countries don’t have mental illness,” read the second comment.
“Wake up. It’s the guns, guns, guns, guns, guns.”
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