This morning, Virginia Democratic delegates (Vivian Watts, Marcus Simon, Rip Sullivan, Eileen Filler-Corn, Ken Plum, Kathleen Murphy, Alfonso Lopez) and candidates (Mark Levine, Liz Miller), plus Peter Reed — father of Virginia Tech mass shooting victim Mary Reed — spoke at an event in Arlington demanding action against gun violence. The first video is of Del. Patrick Hope, who presented 28,000 signatures from his petition (going to the House Militia and Police Committee, Speaker Howell, and Governor McAuliffe) demanding expanded background checks for gun purchasers in Virginia. According to Del. Hope, we’ve reached the point where “we as elected officials become responsible” by doing nothing about mass shootings. Hope said he decided to do something after the recent, televised shootings in Roanoke, becuase he’s “tired and…fed up” about “all the inaction.” This lack of action is in spite of the fact that “universal background checks are supported by 90% of all Virginia…Republicans and Democrats…it’s bipartisan and this should be easy for us to do.” Hope concluded, “This should be easy, but you would be surprised to know that likely your delegate in…Virginia is opposed to universal background checks,” but that “we will never give up [the] fight.”
I’ll post more video, including some very powerful speeches, in the comments section.
P.S. Supporters were there from the Coalition to Stop Gun Violence, Concerned Citizens Against Violence, Everytown for Gun Safety, Moms Rising and Moms Demand Action – VA.
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