Anyone can be an activist against assault weapons

 

Here is a message from my friend Grace Howaniec, of interest to people who want a law to ban assault weapons and high-capacity bullet magazines (like those used in the Sandy Hook School slaughter). Grace's message is aimed at grandmothers, but any concerned person could adapt her copy-and-paste letter to legislators:

 

Dear Family & Friends,

 

This is my way and the way of dear friends to express to our elected representatives in Congress that we favor enactment of a ban on assault weapons and high capacity magazines. It is not a ban on guns for individual citizens nor a ban on hunting guns or rifles. It is not an attempt to destroy second amendment rights.

After the massacre at Sandy Hook School, we simply feel we need to speak up and speak out. A sample letter is attached that you may cut and paste as you see fit. We recommend strongly that you personalize your letter by naming a grandchild and attaching his/her picture to the letter. We believe bags of mail are difficult to delete and pictures of beautiful children impossible to erase.

We hope our small efforts do not offend you in any way. If so, simply press “delete.”

Feel free to pass this message and letter on to other grandmothers who you feel would be interested in such a movement.

This is our first attempt to influence legislators but we hope it can be a part of a larger effort to put a stop to this horrific carnage.

Thank you for anything you choose to do for Grandmothers Against Gun Violence, GAGV.

Fondly,

Grace Howaniec

[Sample letter to legislators below:]

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Date

Representative and two Senators

(addresses available on Google)

 

Dear __________________________

I am writing to you as a grandmother of ____beloved grandchildren. One of them, _______, is a ___ grader. I am enclosing his/her photo.

Since the massacre of 20 innocent grade school children from Sandy Hook School I’m haunted by the reality that ________ could have been one of those victims.

How do we protect the ________ of the world? How do we protect our elected representatives like Gabby Gifford? Or the people who go to church to pray? Or the women who work or visit a salon? Or the people in a movie theatre? Or on a college campus? Or in a shopping mall? Or the New York firemen who answer a call?

There is no simple answer. But there is a way to start. Ban the assault weapons and high-capacity bullet magazines that made the Sandy Hook School slaughter possible.

Please do not quote Second Amendment rights in your stand. The Constitution and Second Amendment were written in the time of muskets. I have no objection to hunting rifles or hand guns. I have no objection to individuals having either in their homes, safely locked away from children or those mentally ill who can harm themselves or others.

I am completely opposed to the horrific weapons used in the most recent assassinations of our citizenry where the bodies of the small children were mutilated to the point of unrecognizability.

I expect my representatives in Congress to have an open mind to the collective views of their constituents. Please register my voice supporting a ban on assault weapons and high-capacity bullet magazines.

Respectfully,

 

(Your name, address, phone number)