Name: Sam

Social Justice Group: Gun Control

Date of Fieldwork: December 1, 2017

Name of Organization: Eric Protransky

Person (people) with whom I met and their job titles: Eric Protransky

Type of Fieldwork: Interview

What I did:

We went to the office of Eric Protranksy who is a lawyer who defends the law. We asked questions on gun laws in New York and gun crimes.

What I learned:

I learned that there is a huge black market with guns in NYC. Most people bring it guns from other states where it is easier to by guns such as Virginia and then sell it illegally in New York. I also learned that being caught with an illegal gun you can get 3 years in prison. Also, the police department comes out with statistics on violence and gun violence in parts of New York. And lastly, I learned that there used to be advertisements on the subways about having guns and how big the punishment can be.

What I learned about Social Justice “work” and/or Civil and Human rights “work” from this fieldwork:

During the fieldwork, I learned that it’s really hard to make gun laws that will suit everyone or make any laws. Always not everyone will be happy with what you are doing you because you could be taking away something people like but it could be for the better. For example, with gun laws, some people want to have their guns on them for protection and care for guns but others don’t feel safe with guns. I realized when making laws you have to try to make people happy and have their rights but also keep people safe.