Gun safety advocates held a rally in Augusta on Saturday to honor people affected by gun violence and demand more gun safety laws.
Isa Conroy of Moms Demand Action said this isn’t about taking guns away from people but about putting gun safety front and center.
“So I think what’s important to recognize about gun safety and gun violence is that this is not a partisan movement. This is something that impacts everyone, regardless of your political party. Gun violence is impacting everyone in our country right now,” Conroy said.
Several bills to increase gun safety in Maine remain in committee with votes for or against running along party lines. Moms Demand Action is still hopeful the bills, possibly with amendments, will make it to the House and Senate floors for votes this legislative session.
“I think they are just voting the party line,” Conroy said of lawmakers. “They are not taking the responsibility they truly have, to listen to the voices and to listen to the facts about how gun violence is having a direct impact on our communities and our children, and we need change.”
Dozens of supporters of increased gun safety measures in Maine, including clergy, prosecutors, lawmakers, physicians and teachers attended the rally. Moms Demand Action said that more than 100,000 people in this country are killed or wounded with guns every year.
Wear Orange Weekend includes 400 events nationwide. Participants wear orange to honor student Hadiya Pendleton, who was shot and killed on a Chicago playground 10 years ago.
The Wear Orange Weekend event was organized by the Maine chapter of Moms Demand Action and the Maine Gun Safety Coalition.
Maine gets an “F” from Giffords Law Center to Prevent Gun Violence for not having more gun safety laws. In 2015, Maine passed a permitless carry law that allows residents to carry loaded, concealed handguns in public without a permit or background check. Giffords Law Center, led by shooting survivor and former U.S. Rep. Gabrielle Giffords, reports that Maine does have a good child access prevention law, but still additional gun safety protections, including a red flag law and waiting periods.
This article appears through a media partnership with Maine Public.
