You can see additional photos from moms, kids and allies today advocating for commonsense gun reform here.
WASHINGTON, D.C. - Today, police escorted a group of Washington, D.C.-area mothers, children, and families out from their protest at the National Rifle Association’s Headquarters in Fairfax, Virginia after the group, led by MomsRising.org, tried to deliver a petition with 150,000 signatures to NRA President David Keene asking the organization to defend families and stand up for common sense gun reform.
“We were hoping that the NRA leadership would meet with us because moms across the country are concerned about gun safety, and so is the American public," said MomsRising.org executive director Kristin Rowe-Finkbeiner. "Even the NRA's own membership supports some tightening of gun laws with 74% of NRA members supporting universal background checks. But today, the NRA has demonstrated that they don’t want to listen, that they don’t want to hear from families, and that they don’t want to have a productive conversation to make America’s families safer.”
To add your name to our petition, click here.
Concerned citizens and mothers from across the Washington-area traveled to the NRA headquarters in Fairfaix today, on the three-month anniversary of the tragic shootings in Newtown to deliver a petition, with more than 150,000 signatures addressed to NRA President David Keene, calling on NRA leadership to support common sense gun safety laws. MomsRising.org members, were joined by members of Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense, the Coalition to Stop Gun Violence, Million Mom March, Reston-Herndon Alliance to End Gun Violence! and other concerned citizens.
With even a majority of its members, other gun owner organization and gun manufacturers supporting some of the laws being proposed to reduce gun safety (such as background checks), the NRA’s leadership has vehemently opposed any new gun regulations. MomsRising.org is urging the NRA leadership to reconsider its opposition to common sense gun safety laws supported by the majority of Americans. MomsRising.org, joined by the other groups in attendance at the action specifically urged the NRA to support laws that include:
• Universal background checks for all gun purchases, including gun shows and on the Internet.
• An assault weapon ban, which also limits high capacity magazines.
• A federal gun trafficking statute with real penalties to stop the illegal sales of guns between state-to-state and international jurisdictions.
“With more than 30 people killed by guns each day, moms have had enough of this devastation. We not only need to be heard by our nation's leaders, we must also hold accountable all who stand in the way of common sense solutions,” Rowe-Finkbeiner said.
MomsRising.org had sent a letter requesting a meeting with NRA President David Keene to talk about their concerns and deliver the petitions prior to the action today.
View the letter to NRA President David Keene here.
“The Reston-Herndon Alliance To End Gun Violence holds a monthly vigil on the 14th of each month to remember the victims of Newtown and all others who have suffered from gun violence,” said Joanna Simon, Reston-Herndon Alliance To End Gun Violence. “We are working closely with other groups to pass the current gun legislation.”
"The Million Mom March is united in our belief that Congress must take swift and decisive action to address gun violence. The overwhelming majority of Americans support universal background checks and a ban on assault weapons and high capacity magazines,” said Martina Leinz, President of Million Mom March of Northern Virginia. “Congress must listen to these voices and put the interests of public safety and public health above the narrow interests of the NRA."
To add your name to our petition, click here. For more pictures from today's peaceful rally in front of the NRA, click here.