Matt Bennett, Third Way Cofounder and Senior Vice President of Public Affairs, spoke to the Syracuse community on Thursday about “The Politics of Guns.” Working for Third Way, a bipartisan think-tank, Bennett often must tell stories to explain the political workings of both extremes.
Bennett discussed his direct work with the families of Sandy Hook victims. Bennett has been trying to help the Sandy Hook Promise Organization “wade into some of the toughest waters of American politics.”
Bennett provided a brief overview of the federal gun policy in order to give his audience an equal understanding of the basics of the law. He described how in today’s society, two major influential laws have been passed that affect gun regulation; one that prohibited certain people from buying guns and another that banned assault weapons but expired in 2004. Bennett explained that from these laws, it is important to understand the inherent loopholes and “flaws” that accompany the legislation. The first law, which restricted felons and those determined mentally ill by a court from buying laws, doesn’t account for places that don’t perform proper background checks. The second law that banned assault rifles expired. When meeting with the Sandy Hook Promise Organization, Bennett said they recognized that passing some laws might not be possible. He described how they came to him to see what they could change.
Even in such a politicized environment, Bennett is truly a storyteller. By working for a centrist think-tank, he must craft the facts and statistics to facilitate progressive discussion on both sides. Bennett discussed how he had to explain “gun culture” to members of the Sandy Hook Promise Organization. It was necessary for him to explain the different sentiments about guns in order to understand what can best be changed. After accomplishing this job, the organization decided to focus on a provision that closed gun shows and Internet loopholes. These loopholes allow for criminals and restricted classes of people to easily purchase weapons while they have little effect on law-abiding, responsible gun owners.
Bennett continues to work with the organization and speaking to the nation about the various sides of the gun debate to hopefully facilitate successful action.