On, Friday, July 21, state Rep. Justin Jones was joined by state Rep. Ayanna Pressley to stand with Tennessee mothers in an urgent call for real solutions to gun violence.
With a special session on ‘public safety’ just one month away, the lawmakers and parents are united in demanding action to stop future shootings.
“Later this month the Tennessee legislature has an opportunity to act,” said Rep. Ayanna Pressley. “They must heed the calls of the mothers we stood alongside who lost their babies to gun violence.”
Rep. Pressley’s home state Massachusetts offers important lessons as a leader in gun sense legislation and a stark contrast to Tennessee, which routinely ranks last in gun safety.
According to Rep. Justin Jones, Boston, Massachusetts “has about the same amount of people, but with eight times less the gun violence due to common sense legislation.”
“We come with the reminder that Covenant wasn’t the first mass shooting. Unless we act, it will not be the last,” said Jones.
“We are united in our struggle for community safety and justice, and we are committed to bringing about change for all Tennesseans who are tired of the proliferation of firearms and the epidemic of gun violence. My colleagues chose to end the legislative session early but we will not allow justice to be denied any longer. Rather than excuses, we must act in the face of special interest-funded opposition, and on August 21, we urge the legislature to enact a policy that Tennesseans are demanding: Protect Kids Not Guns.”
Other speakers at the press conference included: Shaundelle Brooks, president of the Akilah DeSilva Foundation; Rafiah Muhammad-McCormick, Moms Over Murder; and Metro Nashville Deputy Mayor Brenda Haywood.
