Local residents rallied in front of the Mississippi capitol this past Saturday as part of the national March For Our Lives movement after the deadly school shooting in Uvalde, Texas. The event made its debut in 2018 post the high school shooting in Parkland, Florida.
“We’re back here saying the same thing because nothing has changed.” remarked organizer Mary Helen Abel, who is with the volunteer network, Moms Demand Action.
What’s remarkable about the organization is its emphasis on nonpartisan gun reform. Members are vocal about their quest for inter-party efforts to fight for common sense gun safety laws, such as thorough background checks on potential gun owners. They “work to keep guns out of the hands of people who shouldn’t have them . . . [and to] keep guns out of the hands of domestic abusers and people who have shown serious warning signs that they could be a risk to others or themselves.”
“We are not advocating ‘taking away anyone’s guns.” stated Pam Johnson, a member of Moms Demand Action and an organizer of Saturday’s event.
The rally featured a lineup of different speakers, who emphasized the importance of concrete action towards resolving the current crisis of gun violence in America. Among them were members of Operation Good, a grassroots organization that works with Jackson teens who are contending with the devastating impacts of gun violence. They deploy trained interrupters to diffuse potentially violent situations.
Also featured was 10-year-old Hugh Parker Abel.
“I’ve heard all about the shootings in my life, and I think they’re just too much.” he spoke to a crowd gathered in the green space next to the State Supreme Court of Mississippi.
As a student organizer, I had the honor of witnessing the rally firsthand. It was deeply moving to see the solidarity displayed against gun violence by citizens across different realms of Missisippian society despite the overbearing summer heat. I also had the opportunity to lead the crowd in chanting that silence leads to violence.
State and nationwide efforts to call for change were eventually heard, as senate negotiators announced a framework deal on bipartisan gun reform, including “red flag” laws and safer background checks. This proposal is only the beginning, however; we must continue to advocate for change until our liberty no longer comes at the cost of school children’s vitality because this is the issue of our lives, and this is the time of our lives to raise our voices to save lives.
