As the debate on gun legislation continues to dominate conversation after a school shooting in Florida left 17 dead, the group “Moms Demand Action” hit the steps of the state capitol in protest on Wednesday.
The hundreds of people who attended seemed to have a mix of emotions of anger, frustration, fear and determination. They’re trying to send a message to lawmakers that gun legislation is a must, television station WGCL in Atlanta reported.
The group spoke out on three pieces of gun legislation. The legislation deals with where you can carry guns.
“I worry for the future generation and the kids that are going to school and are afraid to go to school now. So we need something in place to help those students,” said Nikki Colwell, who attended the rally.
State Senator Alan Powell was at the rally. He says more needs to be done on the issue of mental health but has concerns about the U.S. Constitution.
“I hear the concern with the Mothers Against Gun Violence,” said Powell. “But a lot of us have more concerns about the rights, the constitutional rights to have a weapon.”
The group “Moms Demand Action” has reportedly grown by more than 70,000 members since the deadly shootings in Parkland, Florida on February 14. The group was formed after the 2012 Sandy Hook Elementary School shootings.
The teen survivors of the shootings are speaking out on gun legislation in the days since the attack.
Tuesday, at the Missouri state capitol, a group protested for tighter gun regulations, speaking out on a proposed bill to allow students, faculty and staff to carry a firearm on a college campus.
In Minnesota, a similar scene unfolded as a group of fliers urging lawmakers there to support common-sense gun safety policies was circulated.
The demand in enrollment for the group has prompted the forming of another initiative called “Students Demand Action.”
The shootings in Parkland, Florida, became the 17th shooting incident at a U.S. school in just 2018 alone.
