Over 200 moms from more than 30 states will travel to Washington, DC, on Wed., March 13, to participate in “Moms Take the Hill," a grassroots event organized by Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America. A group of Massachusetts mothers will join other moms from the country to demand action on common-sense gun laws.

Moms Demand Action members will meet throughout the day with their representatives and participate in an afternoon press event. California Sen. Dianne Feinstein, New York Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, and Connecticut Rep. Elizabeth Esty are currently scheduled to participate.

“In a country where eight children are shot and killed every day, it is imperative that Congressional representatives hear directly and frequently from American mothers,” said Shannon Watts, founder of Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America. “As moms, we will remain focused on the safety of our children rather than be influenced or even intimidated by powerful gun industry lobby groups. We will not wait for one more horrific mass shooting of our children for legislators to wake up and finally pass needed laws that we know will make a difference.”

“Many mothers who have never called or written a legislator before, are now making time for calls and emails in between school drop offs and nap time. Traveling to Washington, DC, and sitting in front of their elected officials, is the next logical step in our demand for new gun safety legislation at the federal level,” said Dawn Tringas, Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America Greater Boston Area Chapter Co-Leader.

Specifically, Moms Demand Action is asking moms to appeal to their Congressional representatives to act on common-sense solutions to address the escalating problem of gun violence in the United States:

1. Ban assault weapons and ammunition magazines that hold more than 10 rounds.
2. Require background checks for all gun and ammunition purchases.
3. Report the sale of large quantities of ammunition to the ATF, and ban online sales of ammunition.

Our Greater Boston Area members attending Moms Take The Hill in Washington, DC will include:

• Renee Delatizky, a resident of Newton, and a mother. The shooting at Sandy Hook was when she lost hope for us as a country bullied by NRA leadership. Despair and anger morphed into seeking a more reasoned approach to ending this bloodshed and she sought out like-minded people in order to channel her energy into positive action. She is a member of several gun safety activist groups at this time. 
• Kathy Rossman, a resident of Chelmsford, and a mother of three. She has been a Registered Nurse in Massachusetts for 27 years. Currently she is is employed as a public school nurse. Kathy has lived in NY, CA, IN, and S.C.  Throughout her life she has been troubled by the gun violence her father witnessed as a pastor serving others: an angry man waving a gun in the face of his wife, the train massacre in Garden City, the death of young father from an angry businessman, suicide, and burying a grandson from Newtown, CT are a few of her searing memories. She has also been a member of Bread for the World, a Christian lobbying group for the hungry for 35 years. 
• Margot Valdivia, a resident of Cambridge, and a single mother of a young man with serious mental health issues, which became obvious when he was in college. After Newtown, she reached the point at which she simply had to speak out.  She believes in the political process in this country and she knows that we the citizens, must collectively speak out in order for change to happen. She has done advocacy before in Congress and locally. She stuck through the long process of having a Bill finally passed regarding the Accreditation of English Language Programs in the US in order for the United States to issue a student visa for study at a particular school.

About Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America

Much like Mothers Against Drunk Driving was created to change laws regarding drunk driving, Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America (www.momsdemandaction.org) was created to build support for common-sense gun legislation. The nonpartisan grassroots movement of American mothers is demanding new and stronger solutions to lax gun laws and loopholes that jeopardize the safety of our children and families. In just a few months, the organization has tens of thousands of members with more than 80 chapters across the United States.