[Photo by Jamie Moffett]
Was thrilled to take part in a Good Friday vigil yesterday outside of the
Shooter Shop on Emerald and Allegheny in Kensington. I hope to write about North Philly's growing anti-gun movement someday.
Heeding God's Call, The Simple Way and many others partnered to create this event, in an attempt to pressure the Shooter Shop into signing a basic 10-point code of conduct. The Shooter Shop has thus far refused. It was an impressive, disciplined, non-violent event.
It is well documented that Pennsylvania has arguably the most lax gun laws in the Northeast, and this is a huge problem for the whole region. Hopefully, one day the law will be changed, but events like this are a proven, effective strategy to curb the amount of illegal guns flooding into Philly's neighborhoods. That saves lives, and gets the ball rolling in the right direction.
Recently, Shalom House and others used similar tactics with Colosimo's gun shop in Kensington. One of the effects it had was to pressure federal investigators to focus attention on that shop. Colosimo's is no longer selling guns.
More than 200 people died last year in our city due to gun violence. It is an epidemic, and I think every Philadelphian can agree that enough is enough. This movement is a clear-cut, tangible way to save lives and change the city for the better -- just by showing up. How often does that opportunity come along?
The next event:
An organizing assembly
April 18, 4 p.m.
Wayland Temple Baptist Church
25th and Cecil B. Moore
