***This is a Guest Post by Suzanne Rallis Conway. The opinions stated are not necessarily those shared by our staff, advertisers, or sponsors… although if you know me (Katie), you probably know what I think about this… (Hint… I liked the facebook page)***
On December 14th, 2012, I wept. I hugged my kids a little tighter. Over the weekend, I watched the nation go into mourning for 20 children who would never open their Christmas presents and the brave educators who had struggled to protect them. I watched our President break down into tears, and I sobbed with him. I broke down in my son’s preschool classroom the following Monday, knowing there were 20 little angels not unlike my sweet boy who would never see their classmates again. I thought “this has to stop.”
Mothers across the nation wept with me that day and resolved that things would be different this time. One stay-at-home mom in Indiana named Shannon Watts started a simple Facebook page. That simple Facebook page has now become a national organization and has grown to include nearly 90 chapters in 40 states and more than 100,000 members. We have gun owners, NRA members, stay-at-home moms, working moms, teachers, healthcare professionals, and, yes, even dads. We have all vowed to work to ensure our families’ safety, and nothing will stop us from seeing that goal realized.
Moms Demand Action members are working on the national level, urging our Congressional Representatives (such as Representative Robert Pittenger) to co-sponsor the bi-partisan background check in the House, HR 1565, the King-Thompson bill. We’re encouraging our members to support companies like Ikea that have gun sense and put pressure on those like Starbuck’s that don’t.
Moms are working on the state level as well. Here in NC, our four chapters are urging Senate Pro Tem Phil Berger to oppose NC HB 937, a bill which would allow concealed weapons in bars, sporting arenas, and in cars on college campuses, a bill to which restaurant owners and the head of the University of North Carolina system, Tom Ross, have voiced opposition.
We are a force to be reckoned with. We are not going away. We will continue to work to bring about change and to urge our politicians to support common sense gun legislation, simple common sense solutions to the gun violence that rages across our country. And if they refuse? We will work to replace those politicians with ones who will.
I am the leader of the NC-Southwest & Charlotte chapter for Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America. I ask for your help in this movement. Please get involved, like our Facebook page, attend our events, make calls! We need each and every one of you to ensure continued success.
For more information, please visit http://momsdemandaction.org/.
Join us, like our Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/MomsDemandActionNCSouthwestandCharlotte) and make your voice heard!
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Thanks!
Suzanne Rallis Conway
Moms Demand Action NC Southwest
www.facebook.com/MomsDemandActionNCSouthwestandCharlotte
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