“…Raise your hand if you’ve lost a loved one to violence. Just raise your hand. Keep your hand up. Raise your hand if you know someone who’s lost a loved one. Keep your hand up. Look around. Just look around…” [almost everyone in the room of around 250 people had a raised hand]

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.

Damon Daniel, Ad-Hoc Group Against Crime.

Damon Daniel, Ad-Hoc Group Against Crime:

…I think it’s important for us to stop and recognize the fact that you don’t know what people are going through. And when you talk about the issue of violence people are walking around the city, next to you, they’re your neighbors, they’re the folks that wait on you at the cash register, these are the folks that teach in your classroom, these are the students in your classrooms, these are folks at your pharmacy, these are the folks that pull up at the light next to you that are hurting. And as some people say ‘hurt people sometimes hurt people.’ But healed people heal people as well…

…The vision that I have is a vision where people, especially young people can grow up with an understanding of the value of forgiveness. And that they know and understand how to resolve conflict without violence. I have a vision that one day Congress will pass common sense gun legislation that puts people before profits…

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)

Kansas City Mayor Quinton Lucas: On Gun Violence – Kansas City – August 7, 2019 (August 9, 2019)

Judy Sherry: On Gun Violence – Kansas City – August 7, 2019 (August 9, 2019)

Rashid Junaid: On Gun Violence – Kansas City – August 7, 2019 (August 9 2019)

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. Approximately 250 individuals and members of activist groups from the Kansas City metropolitan area attended. Media from the Kansas City metropolitan area covered the two hour long town hall.

“Do something”

“We must stop killing each other”

Patty Lewis (left), a Democratic Party candidate in the 25th Legislative District.

Representative Ashley Bland Manlove (D).

Patty Lewis (left), a Democratic Party candidate in the 25th legislative District, and Elad Gross (right), a Democratic Party candidate for Missouri Attorney General.

Representative Richard Brown (D).

Kansas City, Missouri Police Department Chief Richard Smith (left), Representative Emanuel Cleaver (D) (center), and Jackson County Prosecutor Jean Peters Baker (D) (right).

Speakers included Representative Cleaver (D), MCC Chancellor Dr. Kimberly Beatty, Kansas City Mayor Quinton Lucas, Kansas City Police Chief Richard Smith, Jackson County Prosecutor Jean Peters Baker, and the leadership (and members) of Moms Demand Action – Missouri, Grandparents against Gun Violence, Mothers in Charge, March for Our Lives – KC, Aim 4Peace, and the Ad-Hoc Group Against Crime.