Vermont Woman Uses Her Son's Obituary To Push Gun Control

There are some things that are truly tasteless. Quinoa is the least of these.

For example, you could take your son’s obituary, a young man who took his own life, to advocate for gun control rather than think about all the things that went wrong long before he went to purchase a firearm. After all, that’s what one Vermont woman did.

Alyssa Black did not expect her son’s obituary to receive attention beyond his loved ones.

“None of this was our intention,” she said of the obituary, which sparked intense conversations around gun control.

Andrew Black, who died by suicide on Dec. 6, purchased a firearm and used it to take his own life within a few hours, according to his father. The obituary ended with a request: For those who feel compelled, lobby for a wait period in between the purchase and possession of a firearm to honor Andrew’s memory.

Vermont currently has no wait period.
“We know how our son died and why”

Alyssa thought that only family and friends would see the obituary. When it came time to write Andrew’s, she said the call to lobby for a waiting period was intended for people who believe in the cause themselves.

But the family was not intentionally trying to reach gun supporters.

“We were just trying to reach people like us,” she said.

She acknowledged a waiting period would not guarantee her son would still be alive, “but there is a possibility it could have.”

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