Advocacy Group Gathers To 'Say Their Names,' Honor Lives Lost To Gun Violence

Harrisburg PA

05 June, 2022

3:43 PM

Description

NorthCentralPA.com June 5, 2022 "Friends, we must never forget the people whose names are read here today." This past Tuesday, Sue Edmonds Fulton stood at the backdrop of the Bases Loaded statue installment on the corner of Market and Third streets to pause and honor the children and teachers who lost their lives in Uvalde, Texas. The Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America group was small but reverent as Fulton read the names of each child and two teachers, along with a brief description of each student. One was nervous for her softball game later that night; one just made honor roll. A few loved making TikTok videos; one boy made coffee for his grandparents every morning. "When it comes to just caring about others' losses, it matters," said Natani Wright, 15, a sophomore at the Williamsport Area High School. "It's important to take time, to take care of each other." She came to the event to express her concern and care for the people now experiencing pain, she said. Wright was in attendance with her mom, Mary Wright, who helped form the Williamsport chapter of Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America in 2017. After the shooting at the Majory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida in 2018, Edmonds Fulton joined the cause. The nonprofit is also nonpartisan, group members stressed. "I'm a gun owner," Edmonds Fulton said. "I believe in the Second Amendment. I also do belive that there should be a limit on who has access to weapons of war." Common sense and common ground Additional "common sense" measures, according to the group, include raising the age to purchase both handguns and long guns to the age of 21, more extensive background checks on every gun purchase, including gun shows and private sales, and encouraging a national Red Flag Law, where local law authorities could remove weapons if someone is committed involuntarily or making threats. And if it's been determined a person has gotten help, for example, by receiving anger management or counseling, that person could get their guns — which would be securely stored —back, according to Edmonds Fulton. "I am on the extreme opposite when it comes to arming citizens," said Lycoming County Commissioner Tony Mussare. "But that's just a difference in opinion," he said. Mussare and Edmonds Fulton spoke about their differences, but also agreed to the importance of finding common ground. To Mussare, common ground would be identifying a person who is mentally ill, or who has made a threat before and getting that person an LSI-R score. That predicts the level of risk in an individual and is often used by adult probation. "We do a risk assessment and that tells us, 'OK, what category do they fall in? Do they need to be incarcerated? Do they need some eduation? Reform?'" Mussare said. "We'd do the same with students." The common ground splits at ownership, though. Mussare believes everyone should own whatever weapon they choose. In fact, he said he believes that all Americans should be armed. The debate is one that will rage on, especially as mass shootings continue. Since the Uvalde shooting, 20 mass shootings have taken place across the U.S., according to Gun Violence Archive statistics. "This has to stop" Whether or not it's possible to separate the political rhetoric from the issue of safety, whether in grocery stores, churches, shopping malls, movie theaters, and especially schools, remains to be seen. For the members of Moms Demand Action who attended the solemn event, like McKenna Long of Hughesville, the victims come before the political argument, which was the purpose of the gathering. Long is a city councilwoman and also a gun owner who believes in responsible reform, she said. "I lived many years in Atlantic City and I've been to so many funerals because of gun violence," Long said. What she wants is assurances her 15-year-old son is safe at school, she added. Mussare and Edmonds Fulton did agree to meet again to discuss real solutions to help address the issue. "I think there are things to do, but people have to stand up and tell their legislators how they feel," Edmonds Fulton said. "The vast majority of Americans, including gun owners, including Republicans, all agree that we cannot stay where we are." About gun violence in schools, said Mussare: "This has to stop." NorthcentralPa.com provides the region with reliable, relevant, and real-time news, covering weather, community news and events, crime, police activity, local, regional, and national alerts, and PennDOT-reported road construction and conditions. We report on local and regional politics, offer a platform for nonprofits to report their news and events, and share obituaries. Scanner reports let readers know what's happening outside their homes the minute it happens.