On Dec. 14, 2012, in Newton, Conn., a mass shooting occurred at Sandy Hook Elementary School. The shooter was Adam Lanza, a 20-year-old who killed 20 children and six adults, as well as his mother earlier that morning. This shooting was the deadliest mass shooting in Connecticut history and the most fatal shooting at an elementary school in the U.S.
After this tragic accident, Shannon Watts, a 53-year-old mother of five children, started a Facebook group that promoted gun safety which was later turned into an organization called Moms Demand Action. Although the organization specifies moms, there are many people who are willing to fight this issue including dads, survivors of gun violence, active citizens, and students. MDA focuses on gun violence and has groups across the nation with a program in every single state, even in districts, including Washington, D.C.
Kathleen Kraemer is the current co-leader of the West Metro MDA in Minnesota along with Katie Ricci. Kraemer is an avid part of the community as well as Ricci, who feel moved and motivated by this action.“I’ve been a member since around the Sandy Hook [shooting]. Sandy Hook was the catalyst for me because that was just so awful and I had a nephew that was the same age,” Kraemer said.
According to Kraemer, gun safety in the U.S. is a primary fight MDA is battling. “Our mission is, in a nutshell, to reduce gun violence in the U.S. [by utilizing] laws to reduce the violence.” Last year in Minnesota, MDA passed significant gun laws including the background check bill as well as the ERPO, also known as Extreme Risk Protection Orders, which will help reduce gun violence in the homes of gun owners. MDA’s biggest accomplishment was the background check bill, as members of the MDA worked on passing the bill for 10 years and attended multiple hearings in the process. The background check bill focused on reducing gun violence by assessing a background check on certain citizens who desired to own a gun, which MDA believed would help reduce shootings, as well as even suicides. Kraemer and the MDA advocate for not only the reduction of mass shootings in the U.S. but also suicide prevention. “[Suicide] is a really big problem in the U.S. because of the use of guns for suicide. The chances are, with a gun, you will have [a better chance] of killing yourself than with [another weapon],” Kraemer said.
Currently, MDA is working on passing two bills known as the Safe Storage Firearms Bill and the Lost and Stolen Gun Bill. The Safe Storage of Firearms Bill states that gun owners are required to lock their guns up unless they are in possession, while the Lost and Stolen Gun Bill states that if someone tries to steal a gun from a previous owner, the stealer needs to report the incident within 48 hours. As of now, both bills have passed in the House and are currently waiting to pass in the Senate. MDA feels hopeful in their attempts in the legislature and waits eagerly for further prominent changes. “We don’t know if the [bills] are going to pass the [Senate], but we’re going to really start pushing,” Kraemer said.
