“…What they’re trying to do is tell you, stop worrying about guns. What they’re trying to do is tell you, nah, nah, you’re not empowered to make a difference…”

Wednesday 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.

Mayor Lucas:

…What you are seeing on the streets, and I know there are a lot of victims, there are a lot of people touched, but I know in the community I’m from you are seeing nothing less, nothing short of a mass genocide. Right? You are seeing nothing short of a devaluing of lives, particularly in black lives. And what we’re seeing in our community is consistently, year after year, is people that are trying to tell us that doesn’t matter. That it doesn’t need to change. What I’m saying right now is, no, it does. It does…

…You know what I want the next group of people to say [in the future]? To say, wow, it’s different now…

Previously:

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

Jackson County Prosecutor Jean Peters Baker (D): On Gun Violence – Kansas City – August 7, 2019 (August 8, 2019)

Rep. Emanuel Cleaver (D): Press Availability – On Gun Violence – Kansas City – August 7, 2019 (August 8, 2019)