Maybe we can start by agreeing that a two-minute background check that won’t hurt anyone and might even save someone is a good and sensible regulation.This is widely supported by gun owners, National Rifle Association members and even the NRA officials thought it was a great idea at one point.
— Melissa Brooks, co-leader, St. Louis chapter,
Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America
More than two months have passed since the tragedy at Sandy Hook, when we stood together as a nation filled with horrible grief and disbelief. The shock and sadness over such violence and loss was deep enough to make us see each other, albeit too briefly, as fellow human beings and even as fellow Americans. We all understood the gravity of what had happened, as it is every parent and person’s worst nightmare. Those 20 innocent children and six unbelievably brave adults will be in all our hearts and minds for the rest of our days.
From that day in December a movement was born. People woke up. I woke up! I woke up to the reality of what has been going on in this country for too long. Thirty thousand gun related deaths a year? Is this really true? Unfortunately it is, and the wake-up call is long overdue.
In January, I heard about a grassroots organization called Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America. It was started by Shannon Watts, an Indiana mom of five who sat down at her computer the day after Sandy Hook and started her movement. There are now close to 80 chapters across the United States, including one in Kansas City and ours here in St. Louis. This movement, much like many others in our nation’s history, was born out of grief, outrage, love and hope.
Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America has asked first and foremost for common-sense gun regulations. Common sense. This isn’t a movement questioning what should happen to the Second Amendment. This is about regulation, and the Second Amendment does not exclude regulation. Our government has been imposing regulations on many things since the birth of this nation, including guns, all the while managing to keep our rights intact, most of which are not absolute.
Read the entire column at stltoday.com
