Some of the survivors of the Jan. 8, 2011, shooting in Tucson are part of a new campaign to end gun violence.
About 100 people gathered in downtown Tucson to launch the effort Wednesday.
It’s a new push for background checks on all firearms sales by a new coalition of groups called “Everytown For Gun Safety.”
The Jan. 8 survivors were wounded or lost loved ones in the shooting.
Many have been working since the Tucson shooting to get Congress to pass laws requiring background checks on all firearms sales.
They were joined Wednesday by elected officials, faith leaders and others to launch the national effort to grow a coalition to counter the powerful lobby against background checks.
Wednesday was the one-year anniversary of Congress killing a bill that would have required background checks, and the seventh anniversary of the Virginia Tech massacre.
There were similar gatherings, like the one in Tucson, across the country.
The groups call gun violence a plague on our country that must be dealt with.
“The belief is the driving force that’s brought together one-and-a-half million Americans, close to 1,000 mayors, and moms in all 50 states. We are united by the belief that we can have good policies that both respect the Second Amendment and also keep America from the dangers of gun violence,” said Pam Simon who was seriously wounded in the Tucson shooting.
“Independent polls have shown that 90% of Americans, and that includes NRA members and gun owners, support background checks. So it’s a matter of activating those people and getting their voices together and that’s exactly what Everytown For Gun Safety is all about. So we’re going to build our membership and we’re going to go out there and vote,” Simon said.
Mary Reed suffered three gunshot wounds in the Tucson shooting as she used her body to save her daughter’s life.
“One gun sale equals one background check. I own and shoot guns. I will continue to own and shoot guns. Background checks take three to five minutes. They are important and the cowards in Washington were not able to even agree upon that,” Reed said.
Daniel Hernandez helped save the life of Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords who was seriously wounded during the shooting.
He said, “That’s why we’re here today to announce that we’re going to be starting Gun Sense Voters as a new program to inform people in Arizona, in Tucson, in Phoenix, all over the country on the importance of voting for folks who care about the issue of gun violence prevention.”
Hernandez says Gun Sense Voter is a program under the Everytown For Gun Safety that encourages voters to support candidates who vote for legislation that reduces gun violence.
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