gun violence prevention protest

Janelle Tupper 4-26-2013

A woman protests the NRA's influence in Washington, DC on April 25. Photo by Brandon Hook / Sojourners

Before last week’s Senate vote, we learned that 90% of Americans supported universal background checks as a way to reduce gun violence.

The Senate’s vote against background checks shows that public opinion is not the driving — or defining — force behind America’s gun culture. In fact, to find that force, you don’t have to look any farther than money.