Six months and no change, Newtown Action Alliance heads to Washington, D.C. to commemorate and call for Congress to act

NEWTOWN, Conn., June 3, 2013 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Six months have passed since the tragic shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School that took the lives of twenty-six students and educators and Congress has not enacted a single common sense law to reduce gun violence. Since then, 4,500 Americans have lost their lives to gun violence, now surpassing the number of U.S. military casualties in the 9-year Iraq war.

To honor the lives lost on December 14 in Newtown and the thousands of other victims of gun violence, the Newtown activists, along with alliance partners and supporters will travel to Washington, D.C. June 12-13 for meetings with members of Congress and an event on the Capitol lawn.

The group will hand deliver letters to key lawmakers signed by gun safety groups from across the country representing millions of voters.

The letter to the Senate demands they resurrect the Safe Communities Safe Schools Act 2013, S. 649 and the Manchin-Toomey Amendment No. 715 that protects Second Amendment rights, and closes loopholes in the background check system.

The letter for House members targets potential co-sponsors of the Public Safety and Second Amendment Rights Protection Act 2013, H.R.1565.

A list containing the names of the 4,500 victims of gun violence since December 14 will be delivered with these letters. The number of Americans killed from gun violence since has surpassed the total number of U.S. military casualties in Iraq according to Slate's gun deaths project.

On June 13 at 9 a.m. on the Capitol steps will be a "No More Names" (www.nomorenames.org) reading of victims lost to gun violence since December 14.

At 12 p.m. is a press conference followed by Newtown residents reading the names of the 26 children and educators gunned down that day.

While the names are read, a choreographed human Ribbon of Remembrance will be formed in front of the U.S. Capitol followed by a moment of silence.  

Public participation in these events is invited and encouraged. Coordinated social media activities are planned for anyone to participate worldwide. Go to www.NewtownAction.org for more information and to sign up.

Newtown Action Alliance is a Newtown Connecticut-based grassroots 501(c)(4) advocacy organization working as a catalyst for smarter, safer gun laws and broader cultural change to reduce gun violence. Find out more at www.newtownaction.org

Media contact:
Debbi Morello (203) 295.5265
[email protected]

SOURCE Newtown Action Alliance