Mass. rally seeks change — in law or in Congress
More than a hundred protesters gathered in Lexington’s Emery Park yesterday to demand action on gun control in the wake of a horrific school shooting in Southern Florida.
The rally, organized by Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America, was one of many nationwide yesterday in the hopes of spurring Congress to enact more gun control measures and support mental health services after police say a 19-year-old armed with an assault rifle gunned down 17 people Wednesday at a Parkland, Fla., high school.
Chanting “Enough,” and waving signs reading “Make American Safe Again” and “Our Children Shouldn’t Die For An Outdated Amendment Right,” demonstrators in the park listened as organizers read off a list of 32 different school shootings in the U.S. since 1998.
Many of those gathered said it’s time to hold elected officials accountable by challenging them in this year’s elections.
“I’m really, really angry,” said Dana Zazinski, 53, a high school English teacher from Lexington. “Parents expect kids to come home with a little too much homework . ... But now parents are just happy their kids come home. Something is wrong. We don’t give them enough mental health support but we give them access to assault weapons.”
U.S. Rep. Katherine Clark, who spoke at the event, called out her colleagues and urged those in attendance to take it out on them at the polls.
“Our moments of silence in Congress have stretched into decades of inaction,” Clark said. “If Congress will not change, we have to change Congress. We have nine months until the midterms. ... This Congress — they are indifferent . ... But if you won’t fund research into this, you have shown us who you are. You have shown us your depravity.”
Ashley Shimabukuro, 31, of Arlington pointed to her young son, in tears, and called gun violence “disgusting.”
“I think it is disgusting that we have so many mass shootings and all that is offered by politicians is thoughts and prayers,” she told the Herald. “Things have to change.”
Steve Boxer, 57, of Lexington agreed. “I think it’s crazy a teenager can buy an AR-15,” he said. “It’s easier to buy that than a six pack of beer. It’s insane.”