Letter to the Editor: Remembering Sandy Hook and taking action

December 12, 2014 By Dara Sicherman, Regional Manager, Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America For Brooklyn Daily Eagle

Dara Sicherman, pictured with her family, on Election Day, wearing Gun Sense Voter tees, is a regional manager of Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America. Photo courtesy of Dana Sicherman

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On Dec. 14, Americans will remember the 20 children and six educators at Sandy Hook Elementary whose lives were taken by a heavily armed man just two years ago. Many will light candles and send their thoughts and prayers. Others will wonder if anything has been done to prevent senseless tragedies like these from happening again.

As a supporter of Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America — the first chapter of which began in Brooklyn immediately following the events — I know something is being done. What began as a Facebook page created to start a conversation about preventing gun violence has grown into a grassroots movement of more than 2.5 million members with a chapter in every state. We are a group of advocates who know that common-sense gun safety measures go hand in hand with the Second Amendment.

And our work is far from over. According to an updated analysis of school shootings from Everytown for Gun Safety, there have been nearly 100 school shootings since the tragedy at Sandy Hook elementary school. The lockdown culture in our children’s classrooms is unacceptable and we will continue to fight to see changes made to keep our kids safe in the sanctity of their schools. There are common sense solutions to keep guns out of dangerous hands and it’s long past time our leaders took action.

Recently, the mother of a child killed at Sandy Hook told our founder, Shannon Watts, she wanted to hear from people who care. She wants people to say, “I won’t forget your daughter, I’m praying for you, and I’m taking action.”

Moms remember, moms are praying for all families affected by gun violence, and Moms are definitely taking action. Are you?

Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America is a grassroots movement of American mothers fighting for public safety measures that respect the Second Amendment and protect people from gun violence. For more information or to get involved visit www.momsdemandaction.org.