GUNNING FOR A SOLUTION
HUNDREDS MARCH IN MEDIA FOR END TO GUN VIOLENCE:
More than 400 people wearing orange filled the Second Baptist Church of Media Friday night in a show of unity to shoot down gun violence.
It was standing room only at the Wear Orange Rally and Walk for National Gun Violence Awareness Day.
The rally and walk sponsored by Delaware County United for Sensible Gun Policy is Cochaired by Terry Rumsey and Robin Lasersohn. The group is lobbying to pass legislation to establish universal background checks on guns sales in Pennsylvania with House Bill 1400, which is sponsored by state Rep. James Santora, R-163, of Upper Darby.
Rumsey and Lasersohn spoke about the importance of contacting legislators to work toward sensible gun policies. Lasersohn wants to rename Friday’s National Gun Violence Awareness Day to National Gun Violence Awareness and Action Day.
Legislators state Sen. Tom Killion, R-9, Rep. Santora and state Rep. Leanne Krueger-Braneky, D-161, attended the march and rally to advocate and support an end gun to violence through legislation.
It came on a day - National Gun Violence Awareness Day - when four different shooting incidents took place in the city of Chester, including one that took the life of a 16-year-old walking to school at Chester High.
Killion has authored Senate Bill 501, which would work to get the guns out of persons facing a protection from abuse order in domestic violence situations. Currently in a domestic abuse situation the person subject of the order has 60 days to give up their firearms, and they can give them to a friend or relative. Under Killion’s measure a person suspected of domestic abuse would have to surrender their firearms to a law enforcement officer within 24 hours.
“I have been in the Capitol for 13 years and they (Delco United and Cease Fire) had the largest rally I have ever seen,” Killion said. “We have to keep it up. We have a lot of work to do. The tragedy in Chester today . ... It’s time to say enough is enough. We have to stop this violence.”
Wearing orange, Mayor Bob McMahon of Media and Chester City’s Mayor Thaddeus Kirkland were on hand to show their support.
For Kirkland it was day that gun violence in his city left him weary, but not without hope that people will fight this epidemic of gun violence. With Bible in hand, he addressed the crowd.
“This has been a very, very difficult day for myself and the residents of the city of Chester,” Kirkland said. “It’s been a day that things happened so fast and so brief. A young person lost their life on their way to school in the way of gun violence. A 16-year-old young boy died. It was tough for me to go to that crime scene and witness what had happened.
“It was very painful taking into effect if it was my child on their way to school; going to school to be the very best individual that God made him or her to be. He or she is lying there cold dead. To continue on to hear that there are gunshots fired at another person at Crozer Hospital and another call of shots being fired and then one more call to find out a police officer had a weapon pointed at him. Fortunately it misfired. The police officer had great restraint; he did not kill the individual. Four acts of gun violence acts between the periods of 7:45 a.m. and 1 p.m.,” said Kirkland.
“It boggles me how officers work so hard to take 10 guns off the street and before nightfall 30 more guns are back on the street,” Kirkland continued. “Something has to be done. There is a movement going forth on the opioids epidemic. Folks from all walks of life said we are going to fight the scourge with all our might. Many of our young people are dying. My hope is to take it and understand there is another epidemic. We can fight them both at the same time. That epidemic is gun violence throughout the country. It’s easy for our younger people 14, 15, or 16 to get a gun. Something is terribly wrong.
“I got extremely extremely tired and then the spiritual side said don’t you get weary. I am imploring you to continue to work hard don’t get weary. Don’t get weary, Terry and Robin,” said Kirkland.
Rumsey believes that there are three concepts in America that prevent the end to gun violence.
“The first one that this is normal – 33,0000 gun deaths is normal,” Rumsey said. “We are so numb that we think that is normal. This is not normal.
“Secondly that our gun policy in the United States is rational. It is bonkers. If you lose or have a gun stolen you don’t have to report it.
“We allow civilians to purchase military weapons and put them on street. It is not rational.
“Third We allow the small minority of radical extremists to dictate gun policy in Washington and most state Capitals across America. Our politicians listen to a small group that lobbies out of fear and paranoia. Lobbyists should not be writing gun laws. In Pennsylvania every single poll has shown that 80 to 90 percent and most gun owners and even NRA gun owners want universal background checks. It’s not normal, its not rational and its not acceptable.”
Survivors Beverly Wright, President of Women of Strength United for Change, Diane Reynolds and Laurie Friedman talked about their loss and their determination to fight for sensible gun legislation.
After the rally, the people in orange T-shirts walked along State Street to make others aware of how many have been affected by gun violence. They chanted Orange for Gun Safety; Orange for Gun Peace; Orange For our Children; Peace in the Streets.
The color orange is worn in memory of 15-year-old Hadiya Pendleton, who marched with her drill team at President Obama’s second inauguration. A few days later, she was killed by crossfire in her hometown of Chicago. Her friends decided to honor her life by sending the message “Don’t shoot me,” wearing the color that hunters wear to protect themselves from gunfire.