NJ Residents For Action Against Gun Violence Outlines Future Plans

NJ Residents For Action Against Gun Violence has spent the past weeks meeting with various government officials. At Tuesday night’s meeting at the First Congregational Church, members laid out their plans for the next few weeks.

According to NJ Residents member Marci Bandelli, a vote in Congress is scheduled to occur either next week or the week after regarding the requirement of background checks for any citizen looking to purchase a gun. Bandelli reminded members that “it’s crunch time” and urged them to send letters advocating for background checks. She quoted President Barack Obama, saying,“Politicians will not take risks if we do not demand that they do.”

According to the Quinnipiac Poll, which was discussed briefly at the meeting, 58 percent of NJ’s citizens want stricter gun laws in the state; 70 percent favor a nationwide ban on high-capacity magazines; 69 percent favor a nationwide ban on assault weapons; 96 percent favor required background checks for gun purchases at gun shows; 78 percent favor a federal database to track all gun sales; and 92 percent favor preventing people with mental illness from buying guns.

NJ Residents members have also been writing “incessantly” to local publications—at least one letter a week—added Bandelli. The group plans on organizing a Letter Writing Committee to continue the trend. They encouraged individuals to continue writing letters to U.S. Congressman Leonard Lance’s (NJ-07) office in Washington, especially before the vote occurs.

In the past weeks they have met with Westfield High School Principal Peter Renwick, who, according to Bandelli, stated that he is open to any student groups against gun violence, but that it would “have to come from the students.” They also met with Assemblywoman Linda Stender (D-22), who advised them to continue writing letters.

Additionally, the group has continued to put pressure on Westfield Mayor Andy Skibitsky to join Mayors Against Illegal Guns; according to NJ Residents member Karen Egert, Skibitsky did say that he is against illegal guns, but has not joined.

Members also recently attended a seminar on the Second Amendment, which included speaker Reverend Moore of the Peace Action Coalition. They also spoke with a number of other Anti-Gun Violence organizations including Cease Fire, Newtown Alliance and Blue Wave.

Again they met with Lance and continued to pressure him to take a stand on background checks. According to Egert, Lance wrote four of the NJ Residents members in response to letters that they had written to him, and said that he did support background checks.

“We would argue that whatever we’ve been doing has urked him enough to come forward on some level (about his position) even if it’s not publicly,” said Egert.

Upcoming events include an open forum on Wednesday, May 1 at Temple Emanu-El (among a number of speakers will be Stender), and a phone bank held at the home of NJ Residents member Viviane Levy on the afternoon of Tuesday, April 9.

Stated Levy: “We were only 12 people at the last protest (outside of Lance’s office)—so what? We (said) ‘honk if you’re against gun violence’ and many people honked!’”

A free screening of Living for 32, a documentary about Virginia Tech Shooting survivor Colin Goddard and his advocacy against gun violence, will be held on Saturday, April 6, at the Morristown Unitarian Fellowship on 21 Normandy Heights Rd., Morristown, NJ at 7:30 p.m. Goddard will be present for a question-and- answer session.

To secure a seat, email PreventGunViolence2013@gmail.com or call (973)-809-6628 for more information.

Additionally, Rosalyn Harrison, a member of the non-partisan group Organizing For Action, announced that a gathering will be held outside of Lance’s office this Friday, April 5 at 10:15 a.m. The group, which pushes to pass Obama’s agenda (which includes anti-gun violence laws), hopes to speak with Lance on that date.

For more information or to join the NJ Residents For Action Against Gun Violence email list, contact Viviane Levy at levyviviane@yahoo.com.