Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence News
On Virginia Tech One Year Mark, Remembrances in More Than 70 Communities Including 32 College Campuses to Urge Common Sense Gun Laws
Demonstration Locations include US Supreme Court and Capitol, Virginia Tech and other college campuses, Presidential Debate in Philadelphia
WASHINGTON, April 15 PRNewswire-USNewswire — On Wednesday, April 16, the one-year mark of the terrible tragedy that took 32 innocent lives at Virginia Tech, local citizens in more than 70 cities and towns across America will participate in events to remember that tragedy — as well as all victims and survivors of gun violence — and call on Congress to act to strengthen the Brady background check system by closing the gun show loophole. Remembrance events are being held this week, coincidentally, at 32 colleges and universities.
Family and friends of Virginia Tech victims, along with Million Mom March chapters, community allies and activists, will remember the 100,000 people who are killed or injured every year in America with firearms, as well as their families and loved ones.
Most of the April 16th activities will be local "lie-ins" where mothers and fathers, young and old, gun violence victims, college students and other citizens lie down in groups of 32 to recall the 32 innocent victims murdered at Virginia Tech. They'll remain lying for just a few short minutes to highlight the short length of time it takes to purchase a gun in the United States. Lie-ins will be held at the U.S. Supreme Court on Wednesday at noon, the Capitol at 12:45, on the Drill Field at Virginia Tech University at 2 PM, in Philadelphia outside the site of the Democratic Presidential Debate at 7 PM, and in dozens of other places. The Virginia Tech lie-in is being organized by close friends of students lost at the school last April 16, and attended by numerous family members of victims.
A volunteer activist from Alexandria, Virginia, Abigail Spangler of ProtestEasyGuns.com, started these "lie-in" protests following the Virginia Tech tragedy last year. "What we are seeing here is a national movement growing out of the efforts of average Americans, including the families and the best friends of the Virginia Tech victims, fighting back for change in our gun laws," Spangler said.
The Brady Campaign is urging Congress to close the gun show loophole — the deadly gap that allows convicted felons and domestic violence abusers to buy weapons at gun shows from unlicensed sellers without a Brady criminal background check. The legislation has been introduced in both the House and Senate.
"The American people know that it's too easy for dangerous people to obtain dangerous weapons," said Paul Helmke, President of the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence. "Congress should close the gun show loophole immediately, and take other common sense steps to fight gun violence."
Details about specific events are available on the Brady Campaign website at http://www.bradycampaign.org/action/april16/. Following is a partial list of the locations where the April 16 remembrances will be held.
Alabama: Tuscaloosa
Arizona: Phoenix, Tempe, Tucson
California: Chico, Fairfield, Grass Valley, Los Angeles Valley College, Oakland, Pleasant Hill, San Diego, San Mateo, UCLA
Colorado: Colorado Springs, Denver, Fort Collins
Connecticut: New Haven, Stamford
District of Columbia: Supreme Court and Capitol Hill
Florida: Fort Lauderdale
Hawaii: Honolulu
Illinois: Chicago, Naperville
Indiana: Bloomington, South Bend
Iowa: Mount Vernon
Maine: Portland
Maryland: Baltimore
Massachusetts: Amherst, Boston, Worcester
Michigan: Detroit, Kalamazoo
Minnesota: Duluth, St. Paul
New Jersey: Ewing, Princeton, Trenton
New Mexico: Albuquerque
New York: Albany, Bronx, Cornell University, Times Square
North Carolina: Chapel Hill, Charlotte, Wilmington, Winston-Salem
Ohio: Cincinnati, Columbus, Kent, Oberlin, Toledo
Oregon: Salem
Pennsylvania: Philadelphia
South Carolina: Charleston, Columbia
Tennessee: Knoxville
Texas: Austin, Dallas, Fort Worth
Virginia: Blacksburg, Norfolk, Portsmouth, Richmond
Washington: Seattle
Wisconsin: Madison, Milwaukee
ProtestEasyGuns.com is a grassroots lie-in protest movement that emerged last year in response to the deadliest shooting rampage by a single individual in U.S. history at Virginia Tech. Supporters are outraged at how easy it is to obtain a gun in the United States and believe it is time to change lax U.S. gun laws that allow criminals and dangerous individuals easy access to guns. Each of the protests includes 32 individuals (symbolizing the number of students and teachers murdered at Virginia Tech and the 32 Americans murdered with guns every day in the United States). Protesters lie down silently for three minutes (signifying the brief amount of time it takes to buy a gun in the United States). The goal is to encourage like-minded citizens to stage their own protests around the country to influence the public discourse and ultimately the legislative process with regard to this critical national problem. Visit www.protesteasyguns.com
As the nation's largest, non-partisan, grassroots organization leading the fight to prevent gun violence, the Brady Campaign, with its dedicated network of Million Mom March Chapters, works to enact and enforce sensible gun laws, regulations, and public policies. The Brady Campaign is devoted to creating an America free from gun violence, where all Americans are safe at home, at school, at work, and in our communities.
For more information on April 16th activities, visit the Brady Campaign website at www.bradycampaign.org.
CONTACT: Brady Campaign Communications, +1-202-898-0792, phamm@bradymail.org
SOURCE Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence
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