This post was contributed by a community member. The views expressed here are the author's own.

Health & Fitness

A Call for Action

The NRA is advocating for the gun manufacturers. You need to advocate for those on the other side of the gun, the victims. It's easier than you think.

The March for Change in Hartford brought record numbers to the capitol.  5,500 people came together to demand meaningful change to our gun laws.  Critics from the NRA have dismissed this as a low number, perhaps forgetting that March for Change has no formal infrastructure, and did not exist two months ago.  March for Change communicated their message through word of mouth and social media to volunteers.  The NRA, which has been in existence for 142 years, spends over ten million dollars annually to communicate with its members, and still 5,500 was a record number.  Also consider that each of us who went to Hartford for the March for Change represents at least five more likeminded citizens at home.

Personally I heard from at least five friends who couldn’t go to the march, or who were thankful that I went to speak out for all of us. There are myriad legitimate reasons to have missed the march.   But there is no reason you can’t pick up the phone right now.   If your representative is John Shaban or Dan Carter, dial 800-842-1423.  Tell the person who answers your name and in what town you live.  Then just say that you support a ban on high capacity magazines.  Hang up, and go about your business.  It’s that simple.

Now a word about high capacity magazines.  Over the past two months I have had the opportunity to hear from many gun owners.  I have heard that a ban on high capacity magazines won’t do anything to curb gun violence.  I have even heard one concerned gun owner offer to teach anyone how to change magazines in mere seconds.  I have heard gun owners say that their weapons will be made obsolete if they can’t buy at least sixteen round magazines, and then heard the same exact gun owner say he can already purchase magazines containing six rounds for his weapons.  So my question is, if you can easily change the magazines, it won’t effect your existing firearms collection, won’t really affect you at all, then why the uproar?

Find out what's happening in Weston-Redding-Eastonwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

The NRA is advocating for gun manufacturers.  You need to advocate for those on the other side of the gun, the victims.  The fact remains that seven children at Sandy Hook Elementary escaped their classroom when the shooter stopped to reload.  In the seconds it took him to change magazines, seven children were saved.  Pick up the phone.  Now.

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here

The views expressed in this post are the author's own. Want to post on Patch?