Moms Demand Action group dedicated tor raising awareness

The local chapter of the national group “Moms Demand Action for gun sense in America” wore orange shirts in Landreth Park on Saturday. An event offered live music, food and a community atmosphere.

Spokesman Louis Morgan says the Moms Demand Action is dedicated to raising awareness.

He says the event in the park in Joplin was one of hundred of such gatherings across America this weekend.

“A hundred Americans are killed everyday through various misuses of firearms – mass shootings, domestic violence, suicide,” Morgan says. We want to raise awareness about that fact.”

Orange is the color that Hadiya Pendleton’s friends wore in her honor when she was shot and killed in Chicago at the age of 15 — just one week after performing at President Obama’s 2nd inaugural parade in 2013. After her death, they asked us to stand up, speak out, and Wear Orange to raise awareness about gun violence.

Since then orange has been the defining color of the gun violence prevention movement.

Morgan says the goals of the local chapter of Moms Demand Action’s are simple:

“We’re opening up discussions and addressing issues such as domestic violence, gun safety and how suicide and gun ownership are connected,” he says.