ABOUT

Firearms are the leading cause of death for children and teens in America. We analyzed CDC data dating back eighteen years and found that 3,044 kids meant to be graduating in 2021 aren’t alive today because they were killed by a gun. To visualize this statistic, we held a graduation ceremony for this Lost Class, featuring an installation of 3,044 white chairs. We then invited two prominent pro-gun advocates to deliver the commencement addresses. To do this, we created James Madison Academy, a fake online high school named after the author of the Second Amendment. We then invited David Keene, former NRA President, and John Lott, author of More Guns, Less Crime, to make the school’s commencement speech. We filmed their speeches during what they believed was a dress rehearsal. But really, they were speaking to The Lost Class of 2021 - those students who couldn’t graduate this year because they were killed by a gun. In doing this, these two gun advocates became the unlikely spokesmen for our anti-gun violence campaign.