“…I’ll start off with telling you that I’m mad. I’m not hopeless. The day I become hopeless will be the day I turn over the baton to someone else. Because you deserve leaders who are not hopeless. Because this problem is not hopeless. It’s hard, but it is not hopeless. We must demand more of our leaders [applause]…”

Yesterday evening on the Penn Valley campus of the Metropolitan Community Colleges Representative Emanuel Cleaver (D) hosted a town hall of sorts on gun violence. The community event included elected officials, law enforcement officials, and leaders of community groups.

Jackson County Prosecutor Jean Peters Baker (D):

…I want to be specific about what I mean about that. Jefferson City has passed, over about the past fifteen years, a series of law that have greatly impacted my work and my life as a prosecutor. These laws were not initiated, even though they greatly impact my business, they were not enacted by or screaming by prosecutors to have these changes. No prosecutor in the State of Missouri asked for ‘Stand Your Ground’ law. Even though prosecutors must run on a political platform – you’re either a Republican or a Democrat in the State of Missouri when you run for elected office as a prosecutor. But not one of those elected officials went to that capitol building and said, we want ‘Stand Your Ground Law’ in Missouri. So, why do we have it? Why did that happen? [voices: “NRA.”]…

…It’s time for us to move this further. Because gun laws matter. It is one thing, it is one tool. But it does matter. Because if you look at Missouri it is not an accident that we are in this position. It is not an accident. It is because we have deregulated weapons to a point that it is dangerous here. It’s dangerous. You deserve better. You deserve better, you should demand better of those who represent you and those who don’t…

Previously:

On Gun Violence – Kansas City – August 7, 2019 (August 8, 2019)