Marco Dems Hear from Moms Demand Action Activist

On the fifth anniversary of the Parkland, Florida shooting that killed 17 people at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School - and a day after three students were killed by a gunman at Michigan State University - Moms Demand Action South Florida lead Kim Craig spoke at the

February monthly meeting of the Democratic Women’s Club of Marco (DWCM) held at Mackle Park.

More than 50 members and guests of the club heard Craig’s reportage of gun violence in the

United States and how Moms Demand Action has been responding to it since the group’s founding in 2012, following the murder by a shooter of 20 first graders and five educators at

Sandy Hook Elementary School in Connecticut.

Citing Moms Demand Action’s work to support gun violence survivors, educate communities,

lobby state and federal lawmakers to close gun-show loopholes in background checks, to enact red-flag laws, and to elect gun-control advocates to office, Craig said, “Solving problems requires personal commitment.”

She urged meeting attendees to text both “ready” and “Florida” to 644-33 to learn more about

Moms Demand Action initiatives and local meetings in order to participate, noting that Mom’s membership is not limited to women with children, but is instead a broad coalition of

both parents and childless adults. She also explained that Moms Demand Action works cooperatively with Students Demand Action under the umbrella of Everytown.org, a group that promotes responsible gun ownership and safe gun practices.

Among Moms Demand Action’s initiatives is promoting its SMART program with poster locations that include the waiting rooms of government buildings. The SMART helps parents and adults talk about gun safety to prevent child gun deaths and injury. SMART stands for: Secure guns in homes and vehicles; Model responsible behavior; Ask about the presence of unsecured guns in other homes visited by children and family members; Recognize the role of guns in suicide; and Tell your peers to be SMART.

The need for activism, Craig said, is rooted in statistics that show 110 Americans dying of gun violence each day, of gun violence being the leading cause of American children’s deaths and the U.S. rate of death by gun violence far outpacing that of other well-to-do nations. With permitless carry legislation moving forward in Tallahassee, Craig urged meeting attendees to contact their state legislators to argue for laws that would keep in place protections that have kept Floridians safe while other states have loosened gun restrictions, resulting in increased deaths and violent crimes. She credited the activism of Parkland students with Florida’s existing Red Flag legislation that allows for the removal of firearms from homes when risk of danger to family members or others is documented. Following Craig’s presentation, DWCM also heard from Collier County Democratic Executive Committee Chair Jane Schlechtweg, a former DWCM vice president, about committees being activated at the county level to reach and educate voters.

In keeping with its partnership with Our Daily Bread Food Pantry, the DWCM collected for delivery more than 75 jars of peanut butter to the Pantry as its February donation.

The next meeting of the DWCM will be held March 14 at Mackle Park. For more information on meetings, membership or supporting our charitable efforts go to dwcmarco.org or contact us at info@dwcmarco.org.