1. What is a straw purchase?
When a person buys a gun on someone else’s behalf, it is a straw purchase.People that us e straw
purchasing are criminals that cannot pass a background check or want to avoid a paper trail to obtain guns
illegally.
Girls Against Straw Purchasing (GASP)
The mission of Girls Against Straw Purchasing (GASP) is to raise awareness in and
around the D.C. community about the dangers of purchasing and possessing guns
illegally. Guns purchased illegally are 50% more likely to be involved in a crime than
guns purchased legally. The goal of GASP is to encourage and inspire young women to
say NO to concealing, storing, or buying a gun for someone else. With the support and
collaboration of local authorities, community leaders, and the D.C. public school system,
ordinary concerned citizens can help put the breaks on gun violence and drastically slow
the flow of illegal guns within cities.
Statistics Reveal:
1. DC’s homicide count to 105 at the end of Aug 2015 — the same number killed in
all of 2014 and a 42 percent increase from this time last year.
2. Almost a half (46%) of the illegal guns used in the crime come from straw
purchasing.
3. The guns purchased by females and youth are more likely to pass to the hands of
criminals and use in a crime later.
Goals:
1. To raise awareness about straw purchasing: the act of purchasing a weapon on
behalf of someone who cannot legally purchase their own.
2. To educate young Americans about the dangers and repercussions of
participating in the illegal arms trade.
3. To motivate young women NOT to lie for others by having them pledge, "I will
not lie for you!"
4. To collaborate with local authorities and public officials and establish a network
of educated citizens.
5. To work with national organizations in support of ending the flow of illegal guns.
Target Audience
Young women and girls who as they mature, may be coerced, deceived, or paid to buy,
hide, or carry illegal weapons for family members, boyfriends, or even strangers. In order
to stop gun violence, D.C. communities must understand that illegally disseminating guns
and straw purchasing are not a victimless crime.
Contact Information: dcgasp.info@gmail.com