/>Every day in America, 8 children are killed by guns.
There are 4 million NRA members in this country. There are over 80
million moms, not to mention dads, aunts, uncles, grandparents, teachers
and friends.
Who holds the power here?
The above photo is of my little brother Christopher, who was shot at
seven years old. He survived, but is forever damaged by the violence
inflicted on him. As I wrote in my article, A Single Bullet,
if we offer words of consolation to victims but do nothing to change
this epidemic of gun violence, we are no better than the gunman. That's
why I'm proud to announce that I'm now a volunteer with ONE MILLION MOMS AGAINST GUN VIOLENCE.
I've been watching the ONE MILLION MOMS movement closely, and have been
very impressed with both their message and their actions. You can
become a member with one click, and help them spread their message.
One Million Moms for Gun Control supports the
Obama administration's proposal to ban assault weapons and high-capacity ammunition
clips, as well as proposed universal background checks for all gun purchasers.
We call on lawmakers to also consider regulating and tracking ammunition, as
there is currently no system in place to do so.
One Million Moms for Gun Control will now apply pressure to
members of Congress to move quickly to pass these measures. We call on House
Speaker John Boehner and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid to bring the
proposed bills to the floor for a vote in both houses of Congress, leaving
partisanship aside in the interest of American families. This legislation must
be passed -- not debated or diluted. We will not allow special interests to
obscure the issue: the safety of America's children and families are our
priority.
Shannon Watts, Founder, One Million Moms for Gun Control
See Shannon on MSNBC.
Today, (Saturday, January 19th) One Million Moms for Gun Control
launches our new campaign "How Do You Wear Your Heart?" We want moms
across the country to express their love for their children AND their
demand for new gun control laws.
Decorate your heart, add yo ur
child or children's names or initials, and wear it proudly. We
encourage creativity: crayons, fabric, and different materials. Pin your
heart over your heart and wear it publicly in support of One Million
Moms for Gun Control.
We ask moms, dads, grandparents and
anyone participating to take pictures of themselves wearing their pin
and use those pictures as their Facebook profile. Share them with us by
emailing them to Email address removed or Tweet/Instagram them using the
hashtags #howdoyouwearyourheart and #1MM4GC.
Hollye Dexter is co-editor of Dancing At the Shame Prom (Seal Press), and recently completed a second memoir, What Doesnà ‚¬ „ t Kill You. Her essays have been published in anthologies and in many online publications. A singer/songwriter with four (more...)