Home » “Moms Demand Action” Raising Local Awareness of Gun Violence

“Moms Demand Action” Raising Local Awareness of Gun Violence

by Samara McAuliffe

The Mercer County Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America local group held a special meeting at the Hopewell Branch of the Mercer County library system on Saturday, with guest speaker, Debra Rosen, Managing Director of the national non-partisan organization.

Moms Demand Action, part of Everytown for Gun Safety, is a grassroots movement working towards public safety measures that respect the Second Amendment and protect people from gun violence. According to Everytown for Gun Safety, 91 Americans are killed each day by guns.

The meeting was attended by approximately 60 local residents who communed to discuss gun legislation as well as local and national calls to action. Ms. Rosen discussed the results of last Tuesday’s election and what they mean to the gun violence prevention movement. In addition to the national election, she discussed that 3 of the 4 gun violence reduction measures that were on state ballots passed this November. These states included Nevada, Washington, and California, with the background check ballot measure in Maine failing. This was disappointing to the organization because, as State Volunteer Communications Lead Diana Trasatti stated, Moms Demand Action is “really focused on background checks, really pushing background checks. That’s the number one factor that has been shown to reduce gun violence.”

The meeting included time for discussion and questions with community members, focusing primarily on mental health concerns and gun violence, inclusion of gun manufacturers in retirement savings funds, as well as concealed carry reciprocity (bilateral agreements between states that agree to honor each other’s concealed carry permits).

Locally, the group announced a call-to-action for members on Monday November 21, in support of New Jersey Assembly Bill 4126. This bipartisan bill enhances protections for domestic violence victims by restricting access to firearms by certain persons convicted of domestic abuse. Members were asked to arrive at the New Jersey State House at 1:00 pm to show support for the Bill. 

The next meeting will be held at the Hopewell Branch of the Mercer County Library System on Saturday, December 17th at 10 a.m. This meeting will include a Be SMART presentation, a campaign promoting responsible gun ownership and reduction in child gun deaths. All interested community members are welcome to attend.

NOTE: In addition to being a contributor to MercerMe, Samara McAuliffe is also a member of Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense.

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