After the Isla Vista shooting, Richard Martinez, father of one of the victims, said “We don’t have to live like this. Too many have died. We should say ‘Not one more’.” Martinez has pumped new energy into the gun violence prevention movement, announcing “I’m going to ask every person I can find to send a postcard to every politician they can think of with three words on it: ‘Not one more’.”
According to Jonathan Perloe, the Greenwich Council Against Gun Violence together with The ENOUGH Campaign and the Brady Chapter of Southwestern CT has launched a grassroots campaign to send at least 1,000 “Not One More” cards to U.S. Senators who voted against the Manchin-Toomey universal background check bill.
“To show Congress there is broad support for common-sense gun safety laws we asked supporters to make it personal by taking photos of themselves holding ‘Not One More’ and ‘I Vote #GunSafety’ signs,” said Perloe, campaign organizer and Greenwich Council leader. In response, dozens of individuals from Greenwich, Stamford and around the country contributed photographs, most taken specifically for the campaign. The photographs are featured on a mailer that urges Senators to reverse their vote on Manchin-Toomey.
The first event for members of the community to sign the “Not One More” cards will occur during the Greenwich Sidewalk Sales. Starting Friday, July 11 at 3:00 p.m. through Sunday, July 13, the three sponsoring gun violence prevention organizations will staff a table in front of the Board of Education on Greenwich Avenue. Other times and locations will be announced.
“We need to keep the pressure on Congress to act. By helping the community make its voice heard, we are creating unstoppable momentum towards our goal of closing loopholes in federal background checks.” – Jonathan Perloe.
The event will also be used to promote the ASK (Asking Saves Kids) Campaign, an initiative of the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence. Each day, nine children and teens are shot in gun accidents. One out of three homes with children have guns, many left unlocked or loaded. “Parents ask all sorts of questions before their children visit other homes,” said local Brady Chapter co-president and candidate for State Representative (144th District) Caroline Simmons in a release. “ASK encourages parents to add one more question to the conversation, ‘Is there an unlocked gun in your house?’”