About SMART Week
August 26–30, 2024, marks the first annual SMART Week. This week is a time when we come together to spread the word on the critical importance of secure gun storage to prevent gun violence.
Each day, we’ll be sharing a blog post expanding on each letter of the “SMART” acronym:
- Secure
- Model
- Ask
- Recognize
- Tell
SMART Week is built on the foundation of the Be SMART public education program. Be SMART promotes secure gun storage as a means to prevent kids under 18 and other unauthorized users from accessing guns.
My name is Shannon Klug, and I am a parent, Air Force Veteran, gun owner, Girl Scout Troop leader, and activist.
My military service is a big part of who I am. I was trusted to carry a firearm on military deployments to Europe and the Middle East.
Training, safety, and accountability were the cornerstones of firearm usage in the Air Force. I have found that lacking in the civilian world. It’s important to me to encourage all gun owners to put those principles into practice as they store and use their own firearms. As a veteran, I strive to model responsible behavior around guns and to normalize positive behaviors that promote safety.
One way that I do so is through my work with Be SMART. I started volunteering in 2018 because, as an Air Force veteran and gun owner, it felt like a natural fit for me in the gun violence prevention multiverse. My military experience with firearms makes it easy to have a conversation about responsible gun ownership in a way that is non-threatening.
The post Meet the Veteran Modeling Responsible Behavior Around Firearms During SMART Week and Beyond appeared first on Everytown.