Members of Gays Against Guns took direct action and traveled from New York to DC this week to draw attention to the Senate’s refusal to act on Gun Control Bills.
Included in these are HR8, a bipartisan bill for universal background checks, and HR112, which addresses firearm transfers from gun dealers to unlicensed people.
Majority Leader Mitch McConnell is not allowing any of the Bills to be even voted on in the Senate.
“Many of 2019’s gun deaths are on his hands,” GAG said in a press release.
30,000+ have died by guns while these bills have been held up.
The first action was to join other Gun Violence Prevention groups in front of the Supreme Court on the morning of December 2, where the NRA has brought a lawsuit to try and make it legal to transport guns across all State lines – thus nullifying State gun control laws.
Then, that evening – in the freezing rain – and in collaboration with projection activist, Robin Bell, the names from the Gun Violence archive of all those killed by guns since the beginning of this year were projected on the side of the Newseum on Pennsylvania Avenue.
The projections were superimposed against the words of the First Amendment that establish citizens’ right “to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.”
The following morning GAG’s Human Beings, who – dressed in all white and holding placards – represented individual gun violence victims visited Mitch McConnell’s house on C Street.
The group then visited McConnell’s office, where members were told the majority leader was “unavailable.” Gays Against Guns nevertheless stayed to read a statement about victims and the House bills.
GaG members then went to the Rotunda where they were able to unfurl banners reading “Massacre Mitch” and “”Pass Gun Legislation Now” before being escorted from the building by Capitol Police.
Some GaG members also were able to stay in DC to attend the first day of the Impeachment Hearings in the Judiciary Committee and make their opinions known via t-shirts and signs.
Photo, Video & Sign Credits to:
- www.Bellvisuals.com
- https://www.donnaacetophotography.com
- Paul Rowley www.stillfilms.org
- George DeCastro Day https://www.aperturedelta.com/
- www.wewillnotbesilent.org
- Alexandra Marquez @amarquez60 (intern @McClatchyDC)
