Oklahoma Moms Demand Action Says, ‘Not One More.’

Moms Demand Action originated following the Sandy Hook Elementary shooting and is committed to protecting every citizen from gun violence.
Christine Jackson, State Chapter Lead, Alyson King, State Chapter Lead,

On the day after 20 children and 6 educators were shot and killed at Sandy Hook Elementary School, Moms Demand Action was born. Yes, it took a horrific mass shooting to birth this grassroots organization, but gun violence certainly did not start that day, and as is evident by the shooting that took the lives of 17 at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, it definitely didn’t end that day, either.

Oklahoma’s Chapter of Mom’s Demand Action has been in existence for all of those 5 years, and while we are horrified by each and every mass shooting, we are advocating to keep Oklahomans safer each and every day. We sat in horror and watched the events unfold in Parkland, FL, but we know that most victims of gun violence aren’t covered by the media. The latest research tells us 96 Americans are shot and killed every single day in this country, and the majority of their names aren’t honored with candlelight vigils or round-the-clock news coverage. Communities of color and LGBTIA+ are disproportionately affected by the gun violence epidemic.  Moms Demand Action is committed to protecting every citizen from gun violence, no matter their skin color, where they live, or who they love.

Don’t think that nothing will ever change; we assure you that when we work together, change can happen.

Let’s talk about what we’ve been able to do together:

  • In Oklahoma, we have Chapters in Tulsa, Broken Arrow, Oklahoma City, Norman, and Edmond, and we are looking to expand to other areas in 2018.
  • The first gathering in Oklahoma consisted of 5 people and we now have over 2,600 members.
  • Last year Oklahoma was the most active chapter in the nation per capita.
  • We have helped elect gun-sense candidates by making calls and knocking on doors. One of these candidates won by 31 votes.
  • Moms Demand Action has grown from a simple Facebook page and exploded to a membership of 4 million with Chapters in each of the 50 states.
  • We have helped pass or strengthen background checks in 8 states.
  • We have made it harder for domestic abusers to get access to guns in 26 states.

We have come a long way in the last five years, but know there is more to be done. You don’t have to be a mom to be a member. Many of our members are dads, aunts, uncles, grandparents, and siblings. Many are survivors. Countless are people who just said “not one more.”

A comment all our members often hear is there is no point in trying to affect change in Oklahoma because people here love their guns. Moms Demand Action supports the Second Amendment, and we do not want to keep guns away from responsible gun owners. As more people have recognized this, our membership has grown. We have many gun owners, and NRA members, in our organization. We know that most NRA members share our support for common sense measures to reduce gun violence. Unfortunately, it’s the leadership of the NRA that has gotten so extreme. It’s going to take grassroots efforts to make changes, and we believe those changes will start at the State level.

Right here in Oklahoma we have defeated much of the gun lobby’s priority legislation for the last two legislative sessions. So we will continue to advocate until we see real change. Please consider joining us at our Advocacy Day on February 27 to continue making our voices heard.

To join us, RSVP using the following links:

RSVP here: http://act.everytown.org/event/moms-demand-action-event/7818/signup/?akid&zip&source=etno_ETActPage

RSVP here to ride the bus from Tulsa: http://act.everytown.org/event/moms-demand-action-event_attend/8114?aktmid=tm2195435.4jpI3I&akid=a32850191.4987864.VkxiOM&t=2&source=conf

To get more information about how to get involved in Oklahoma, you can visit our Facebook page at “Moms Demand Action – OK” or text “ACT” to 64433. We hope to see you at a monthly meeting or an event soon.

If you’re interested in learning more about the genesis of Moms Demand Action-OK, check out this article, originally published in our July 2013 issue: http://www.tulsakids.com/July-2013/Taking-on-the-Big-Guns/

Categories: Features

Related Posts