National Day of Protest Against Gun Violence

In 2004, guns murdered:

• 5 people in New Zealand
• 37 people in Sweden
• 56 people in Australia
• 73 people in England and Wales
• 184 people in Canada
• 11,344 in the United States

Black Weblog Award finalist Field Negro blogs on the high rate of murders in Philadelphia and the orphans of violence. Here in Cincinnati the gun violence is so endemic that the mayor promotes an 'out of the crossfire' program. Personally, I have never owned a handgun. To my knowledge, my Dad never owned one either. However, a gun was involved in my brother's death. So, I understand the need to stop the violence enabled by having guns so readily available in our lives.

In response to rising violence Rev. Jesse Jackson has called for a national day of protest against illegal guns. Activists from Rainbow PUSH Coalition, Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence, Million Mom March Chapters, ProtestEasyGuns, and other local gun-violence prevention organizations will be participating in events in more than 20 cities across America on August 28. The August 28 rallies will focus the public and push leaders at all levels of government to take action against the illegal gun market and to keep guns out of the hands of dangerous individuals.
Cities with activities on the 28th include:

• a rally at a park in Newark near the school where the recent shootings took place
• a protest at a gun store in Maryland that is responsible for the most crime guns found in Washington, D.C.
• Dallas: a march down Martin Luther King, Jr. Blvd. and rally at a local church
• Denver: a silence vigil to protest recent shootings
• Duluth, Minn.: a bell-ringing for gun violence victims at city hall
• Ewing, N.J.: a kick-off BBQ for Operation Ceasefire
• Houston: a “freeway blog” over a busy highway
• Minneapolis: an anti-violence coalition breakfast and Protest Easy Guns lie-in
• Philadelphia: Protest Easy Guns lie-in and community forum
• Phoenix: a candlelight vigil at the Arizona state capitol
• San Diego: community forum on illegal guns
• and Protest Easy Guns Lie-Ins in Seattle, Raleigh, Philadelphia, Portland (Maine), Minneapolis, St. Paul, Richmond (Calif.), and Springfield (Ill.)

Nationwide, there will be candlelight vigils, memorial bell-ringing ceremonies, marches, rallies, press conferences, and “lie-ins” in which 32 people lie down to represent the 32 people murdered with guns every day in America. Rev. Jackson called for these protests to take place on August 28 – the anniversary of Dr. Martin Luther King’s historic March on Washington – to demand action against the gun violence plaguing our cities.

I encourage all Villagers that are able to support this National Day of Protest Against Gun Violence.