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03/06/2018 11:00 AMIn an effort to make a difference in the wake of the 17 murders at Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, 16 moms from area towns including Deep River, Chester, Essex, Higganum, and Old Lyme gathered late last month at the Essex Library to organize the first meeting of the Middlesex County Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America.
Armed with brightly colored note cards and kind words, the group wrote letters to the students returning to Stoneman Douglas High School, telling the students how their courage and tenacious, unified spirit is inspiring a nation to take note and take action.
“I’m here tonight because the day I brought my son home from the hospital was the same day as the Sandy Hook shooting and I am scared for my son to go to kindergarden,” said Melanie Lee. “I want to do something to make a difference and make a change. We never had to be afraid of getting shot in school when we were kids and I don’t want my children to have to be afraid of that now.”
Nodding heads and lots of yeses filled the room.
“I am inspired by the students in Florida,” Lee added. “Those students and others like them will change the world and we need to keep that momentum going and help to do something. What can we do?”
“That’s just it, we want to do something,” Tracy Dickson said. “If someone would just tell me what I can do, I would do it! I just don’t know what to do and that’s why I am here tonight. Action has to be taken. I am somebody and I can do something.”
Katie Harris, one of the organizers of the meeting, explained that’s exactly why the Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in American was organized as a non-political, grassroots movement of people throughout the country who are demanding reasonable solutions to address the current culture of gun violence.
“We have to band together to let [legislators] know that this is not what we want,” said Joan Wilson, who worked closely with Harris to organize the meeting.
Lee asked, “Why can’t it be okay if the laws are just a little more strict?”
“I have friends who are hunters and a friend in Maine who lives in a remote area, so they have guns—guns they got licenses for. I don’t want to take their guns away,” said Rochelle Nelsen. “You know, at one time the NRA was a sensible organization, but I don’t think they ever imagined that these types of present-day ‘Rambo guns’ would be in the hands of children who are using them to murder others.”
“I don’t like guns, any guns, but I am not trying to take your guns away, I am just trying to make everyone safer, especially our children,” Harris said. “I had a friend who was a teacher at Sandy Hook when the shootings happened and I don’t think people truly understand how many layers of lives were changed by that one action on that day. Now when that friend walks into her classroom, her first thought is always, ‘Where can I hide the kids if I need to?’”
Plans will be made to meet again locally for the first official meeting, which will be attended by one of the “Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in American” Connecticut Chapter leaders. For upcoming meeting times and locations and to learn more about this group, text the word ACT to 644-33.