Gun violence victims, survivors and gun violence prevention advocates gathered in Richmond, Virginia on Jan. 21st to stage a “Lie-In” and push for a bill to require a background check on gun sales to keep firearms out of the wrong hands. But during the event gun proponents caught wind and converged on the state capitol to disrupt the “Lie-In” and moment of silence in honor of the victims of the Virginia Tech massacre.
We have to ask gun proponents: “Have you no decency?”
What kind of a human being would openly mock, insult and harass the families who lost a loved one or were wounded during the VA Tech massacre? Answer: gun zealots in Virginia that’s who.
We strongly urge you watch to this YouTube video showing the sheer lack of empathy by gun zealots trying to disrupt the “Lie-In”.
Andrew Goddard, the father of an injured Virginia Tech student and now the President of the Richmond Chapter of Million Mom March wrote the following letter to GunGuys.com in response to the shameless tactics by gun proponents in Virginia:
After an emotional hearing about closing the Gun Show Loophole in the Virginia General Assembly, a large group of people gathered outside the bell tower on the grounds of the Virginia state capitol for an hour long vigil to commemorate the lives of all the Virginians that have died from gunfire, including the students and faculty at Virginia Tech.
The vigil is an annual event, promoted by a group of gun safety groups such as the Million Mom March, the Virginia Center for Public Safety, Protesteasyguns and others. Each year these groups obtain a special permit from the Virginia State government to allow a peaceful vigil at this location, and this year was no exception.
The Capitol police had been informed of our vigil and that it was likely that a group of gun owners, organized would attempt to protest our vigil. We were assured that the VCDL had not sought a permit to be at that location, thus would be asked to leave if they interfered with our activities.
Sadly the gun owners showed up in force, wearing and carrying signs and surrounded the vigil, pressing close to those in attendance, even to the point that some felt the gun owners own “permits†pressed into their backs!
Many had removed their jackets on a very cold afternoon to better show off the fact that they were armed. Despite many appeals to the police in attendance, they made very little effort to move the gun protesters back away from the vigil attendees.
A sad and poignant moment came when a very brave woman came to the microphone holding the framed photograph of her young son that had been killed by bullets fired from an AK-47 as he slept in his bed.
As the woman spoke about her loss, some of the gun group jeered and made snide comments about “Guns saving livesâ€.
It was very hard to stay calm at such a moment, but as peace loving people, we kept with our program. The vigil ended with a symbolic “Lie-In†organized by Abigail Spangler, the founder of protesteasyguns. Over 100 people lay down on the cold ground to symbolize those that had died from gun violence.
The gun lobby pressed closer waving their banners and shouting such brilliant comments as “All those in favor of guns stand up†and “here lie disarmed victims†etc.
Despite this unwarranted intrusion, the vigil was a success, as the pro gun lobby showed clearly, both inside and outside the General Assembly, that their main premise is intimidation. Yet their arguments are largely devoid of logic and substance.
Gun proponents say, “Guns Save Livesâ€. But my response is that “If Guns Save Lives, why do their bullets kill?â€
Andrew Goddard
