Saturday, February 8, 2014

Hundreds Pack the Court House to Repeal Stand Your Ground


This Past Wednesday over 300 Georgians Packed two Senate Hearings on gun related legislation in Georgia. The overwhelming majority of attendees were there to oppose radical, unsafe gun laws including that make it legal to shoot first and ask questions later, make it legal to carry a gun in church, a bar, or a school campus.

Sadly, despite the standing room only turnout to both hearings, law makers decided to move forward with a with a very radical pro-gun agenda that disregarded multiple research findings that make it clear these laws make Georgia less safe.

HB 875, the law the would make it legal to bring a gun into a bar, a church, or on a school campus amazingly  passed through it's committee despite the overwhelming number of folks in the committee meeting that spoke out against the law. Dozens of faith leaders from various faiths pleaded with lawmakers not to allow guns in their churches. One gun rights advocate was overheard in the crowd claiming that Sandy Hook was a hoax perpetuated by those that want to take our (his) guns away.

SB 280,  introduced by Senator Vincent Fort, would repeal Georgia's Stand Your Ground law. There was almost no one in the packed heating room that wasn't wearing a yellow sticker that read, "Repeal Stand Your Ground". Georgia's Stand Your Ground law not only makes it ok to shoot unarmed people as long as you think they are a threat, it has also come to represent the idea that African American life is worth less in the south. Georgia's Stand Your Ground law has also been proven to make our state less safe, not more. After hearing just one person testify the Senate Committee shut down discussion and essentially killed the bill.

What are we doing now?
We're asking you to join us, this Monday at 4pm at the Georgia Capitol. We can't afford our own lobbyist, so let's make our voices heard and show up! Forward together, not one step back!

Sign ans share the online petition to repeal Georgia's Stand Your Ground law!

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