Pro-Gun Activist to Virginia Mom: "Just checking in on my favorite c---t."

It's common knowledge that pro-gun activists love to harass, intimidate and threaten Americans who care about gun violence. And women have always borne the most significant brunt of those attacks.

On two previous occasions, the Coalition to Stop Gun Violence (CSGV) has posted misogynistic comments directed at Virginia mother Abby Spangler, the founder of the Protest Easy Guns movement. Abby described her entrance into the gun violence prevention movement as follows: "I'd been thinking, 'Is this what we've come to in America? But when Virginia Tech happened, I said, ‘I've had enough.’ Then when I found out the Virginia Tech shooter got his gun in a matter of minutes, I was outraged. I decided that someone had to speak out and say this is unacceptable. We're not just going to light candles to mourn the victims. We're going to protest for change."

To date, Abby has led—or helped to organize—more than 110 “Lie-In” protests in 30+ states across the country. These protests have called for common-sense gun laws to prevent individuals who are clearly violent and/or deranged from easily obtaining firearms.

Her good works continue to provoke the animosity of pro-gun activists. Abby has shared with us a sampling of comments she has received since our last blog about her (just click on any comment to enlarge it).

The first comment comes from "TimeSpartan111," a young pro-gun activist who calls his YouTube channel "The unpopular gun channel":

Then there was pro-gunner Russel Clank, whose YouTube channel showcases his propensity towards racism and misogyny:

Next up was another young pro-gun activist, "Foughtwolf":

Finally, another pro-gunner with a serious hatred of women, "100years262democides" left the following polite comment for Abby:



If you're disgusted by these cowardly attacks, feel free to cheer Abby up by Liking Protest Easy Guns on Facebook and Following them on Twitter!

Pro-Gun Activist on Murder-Suicide: "He killed his children out of love."

On the fourth of July this year, a gruesome murder-suicide took place in Dundee, Oregon. That afternoon, Randall Engels, 37, shot and killed his estranged wife Amy Engels, 35; their daughter Bailey, 13; and son Jackson, 11. Amy Engels had filed for divorce just weeks earlier on May 29, 2012, citing an "immediate danger" to her children. "My husband has threatened to steal them and not return them," she told a Yamhill County judge. "He has threatened to hurt them. He yells at them and makes them feel nervous and upset."

The Dundee community was shocked and saddened by the unspeakable tragedy, but one Oregon pro-gun activist saw the murders as evidence that Randall Engels "loved" his family.

"FancyJack," a prolific pro-gun commenter at the KVAL.com website, had plenty to say about the murder-suicide. When gun violence prevention blogger "Baldr Odinson" responded to an article about the incident by writing, "It's not the gun I oppose, it's the ease of which people like Mr. Engels are able to get them and use them," "FancyJack" was outraged and replied:

You squeeze a trigger, a nice steady pull, so as not to interfere with the aim, everyone is dead so his use of the firearm was proficient ... He did not flip out, he was methodical with the destruction of his family, again everyone is dead. Suicide is a tool, just like a firearm, it has its place in humanity, that you fear it as you fear firearms is not surprising. Once he made the decision, he would have been at peace, he took his family with him, he loved them and could not leave them to the mercies of the type people who exploit the dead to pursue a liberal social agenda, I'd bet Mr. Engels would have echoed my sentiment that he was protecting his family from people, people who think like you.

When another commenter facetiously pressed "FancyJack" to indicate whether it would be OK for parents to seek out an abortion to protect a child from the "liberal social agenda," "FancyJack" replied:

Yes, provided that we killed the mother when we killed the baby as she would not be here to protect the child. He killed his children out of love, liberal women kill their children out of selfishness, if abortion was fair, we would kill them both, but as we both know, abortion is a liberal social agenda whose intent was to clean up the gene pool, from my perspective, killing a mother that would kill her child is a just act and protects the family.

"FancyJack" also recently found time to leave his thoughts on the shooting deaths of young black men at the KVAL website. "Live by the hoody, die by the hoody," he wrote.

Pro-Gun Activist to African-Americans: "[Guns] for life. Fuck you monkeys."

In the wake of the slaying of unarmed teenager Trayvon Martin by concealed handgun permit holder George Zimmerman in Sanford, Florida, the Coalition to Stop Gun Violence (CSGV) has been bombarded with a series of racist messages from pro-gun activists. You can read some of these comments here, here, here, and here.

And the comments are still coming...

Responding to our previous blog on this topic, in which a pro-gun activist described the slaying of Trayvon Martin as "population control," a pro-gun activist left the following comment: "It's good that these apes can't learn how to legally register guns themselves. they just shoot each other down with unregistered guns. /k/ for life, fuck you monkeys." '/k/' is a symbol that is used by pro-gun extremists to refer to weapons, and firearms in particular, on online message boards.

When we posted a photo at the CSGV Facebook page of a pregnant African-American woman with the words "AM I NEXT?" on her stomach, we got this response from pro-gunner "Tango Down" of Boynton Beach, Florida: "If her and her husband raise the child right and raises it to be a good kid and NOT A THUG, if the raise it to respect the law and respect others as it would want to be respected. If the kid is thought right from wrong and doesnt't attempt to kill someone else then it should have no problems!"

Pro-gun activist Terry Barcus of Cheshire, Ohio was more blunt, leaving the message "zimmeman is my hero!!!!!!!!" on our Wall.

That thought was echoed by pro-gunner "LOU1011" at the U.S. News & World Report website. "LOU1011" was responding to a blog posted by CSGV executive director Josh Horwitz about NRA/ALEC "Stand Your Ground" laws entitled "Carrying a Firearm Puts the Community at Risk." "Nothing's changed here," LOU1011 wrote. "A Black thug assaulted a guy on the streets, who defended himself.One less Black thug in this world..thank you Zimmerman!"

Timothy Archetko, a pro-gun activist from Canton, New York, emailed us to tell us how happy he was that Trayvon Martin was dead. "I believe in the 2nd amendment take me off this fuckin [CSGV email] list," he wrote. "I am a concealed carry holder, my license plate is the model of my favorite assault rifle, I bought 5 guns in the past year and just bought 1000 rounds of m16 ammo, I shot hundreds of birds last season. I am glad the unarmed teen was shot he obviously shouldn't have provoked it. You hippies think you can say what you want with no consequences."

The 'N' word also remained popular with pro-gun activists. When the CSGV staff posted a cover photo on Facebook with hoods up to pay tribute to Trayvon Martin, pro-gunner Donald Attis of Halifax, Nova Scotia left two comments. The first was a threat: "BANG, BANG, BANG, BANG." The second was, "Fuck yo coalition nigga! Fuck yo coalition!"

Finally, white pro-gun activists never waste an opportunity to blame the entire gun violence problem in America on African-Americans. Pro-gunner Brandon Ashby Smith of St. Petersburg, Florida wandered by our Facebook Wall to leave the following comment: "By the way, right after Trayvon Martin was killed-- there was like 6 black people who were killed by other black people because they are too stupid to take advantage of free things from the state and they'd rather sell drugs than work."

Pro-gunner Michael Liechty was pointing the finger, too, and wrote the following on CSGV's Facebook Wall: "maybe you should talk to the black communities where most of the gun violence is taking place." The fact that this claim is patently false? Well, being off on that "truth" thing never really bothered the gun guys...

Pro-Gun Activist Calls Murder of Trayvon Martin "Population Control"

We have already published several blogs here at "Things Pro-Gun Activists Say" cataloging the disturbing comments that pro-gunners have made about Trayvon Martin since the 17-year-old was gunned down by concealed handgun permit holder George Zimmerman on February 26, 2012. Sadly, more than a month after the murder of this young man, pro-gun activists continue to direct these angry and offensive comments at the Coalition to Stop Gun Violence (CSGV).

One of the pro-gun blogs we heard from is "Guns for Everyone." They made their feelings patently clear to us on Twitter, stating, "#zimmerman = population control...... #dealwithit." Guns For Everyone was created by pro-gun activist Joshua Chase of Atlanta, Georgia.

That was just the warm-up, however. They later directed another Tweet at CSGV and former Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence president Paul Helmke from Oklahoma pro-gun activist Dustin "guns get shit done" Gerhart, where Gerhart bragged about buying a gun through a private sale in a parking lot. Private sellers are not required to conduct background checks nor maintain records of sale under Oklahoma law—these transactions are totally unregulated by government and law enforcement. "whatchu think bout that nigga!" Guns for Everyone asked us.

Then there was pro-gunner Donald David Dalby III, who posted the following "joke" on the CSGV Facebook page: "I was going to kill some defenseless children. since, despite the 2nd amendment, guns are bad, what should I use? I have a 14" machete, a led pipe, and a LugerP08 semi-automatic pistol. I'll be sure to use one of the former two, since guns are bad and all.. suggestions?"

To pro-gun activist "Calvin Raven Eagle" from Atlanta, Georgia, the slaying of an unarmed Trayvon Martin came down to an issue of parenting. "PROSECUTE HIS PARENTS FOR NEGLIGENCE," he wrote on the CSGV Facebook Wall.

Then there was Florida pro-gun activist and conservative businessman "Subnetted," who wanted us to know he was getting drunk and thought Trayvon deserved to die. In the word of his Tweet to us: "Drunk at the bar with sexy girlfriend, life is good. P.S. #OWS are dirty. #Trayon deserved it. What else? @CSGV are retarded. And yes #tcot." Needless to say, for the parents and family of Trayvon Martin, life is anything but good today.

But the most offensive contribution came from a pro-gun activist going by the pseudonynm, "Gi Vemeaclip," who we have discussed on this blog before. He posted a "Trayvon Tribute" video to our Wall that he created under the YouTube account 1BoredKidProductions.It speaks for itself, and is nothing short of disgusting.

Pro-Gun Activists on Trayvon Martin: "Nigs gonna nig."

Two weeks ago, we posted a blog that compiled a series of offensive comments made by pro-gun activists in the wake of the murder of 17-year-old Trayvon Martin by 28-year-old concealed handgun permit holder George Zimmerman in Sanford, Florida. With controversy over the shooting still raging across the nation, pro-gun activists have yet to temper their remarks. Last week, several flocked to the Coalition to Stop Gun Violence's Facebook page to leave a series of racist postings.

Pro-gun activist Eric Preisser of Fort Worth, Texas—the creator of the People Against the Brady Campaign [to Prevent Gun Violence] Facebook page—responded to the shooting of Trayvon Martin by stating, "nigs gona nig."

Preisser was echoed by pro-gunner Alexander Rocha of Oceanside, California, who replied, "damn that so sick, nigs gunna nig I guess." In the next breath, Rocha was telling us we should give more guns to "law abiding civilians" like him so the "criminals will be on an equal playing field."

Patrick Green, was outraged over the reaction to the murder. "Black kids like that get killed everyday," he wrote, "but as soon as one bad apple shoots him it's OMG WE NEED TO GET RID OF ALL FIREARMS OMGEE! to be honest you sound like teenage girls I mean cmon guys its the second amendment if you dont like it dont buy a gun its incredibly easy."

Pro-gun activist Thomas O'Neill found the topic of shootings involving children hilarious and commented, "Did you guys know that there is a new kind of bullet that is actually built with technology that can pin-point the trajectory to people's heads?! 1 to 4 year old specifically!"

McKenzy Mallon had a good laugh, too, writing, "NO! Guns are evil devices made by evil people! If Zimmerman was not allowed to carry an assault machine gun Trayvon would still be ALIVE!"

"FAMAS [a French assault rifle] assault clips killed mah baby jamal," said pro-gun activist James Butterscotch, mocking the loss of African American children to gun violence. On his Facebook profile, Butterscotch lists his high school as "FUCK SCHOOL NIGGA IMA BE A DOPE DEALER."

Then pro-gun activists began to impersonate African-Americans on the CSGV Facebook page. Posting as "Edward J. Bleachwood," one pro-gunner commented, "if it wasnt 4 guns that yung nigga be still alive." Another pro-gun activist(s) posting under another fake identity, Flight-Cpl Izmash Assaultclip, loved it, replying, "Which young nigger? There are alot of young niggers. People only care if guns kill them. If they are stabbed it won't even make a sidebar." On his Facebook page, "Izmash" then wrote, "1 black kid gets shot(Pretty good way to go) = OMG RACISM HORRIBLE WHITE PEOPLE (Hispanic, Actually) ARE HORRIBLE RACISTS THEY ARE ALL BABY KILLERS. (typed more like: dat racist yo. ma nigga got popped cuz he be BLACK, he aint do notin' wrong. )."

Then there is the fake identity created by a pro-gun activist, named "Gi Vemeaclip." The profile's "Favorite Quotation" is "Nigga you gay." The college is listed as Virginia Tech. The high school is listed as Columbine High School. In pro-gun circles, this qualifies as humor.

Writing to the Coalition to Stop Gun Violence, "Gi Vemeaclip" then made up a story about a dead brother, stating, "Hey people. While this tragedy about the 17 year old kid getting shot is horrific, this is our time to fight the gun nut's uppresor. My little brother was shot at a Detriot Pistons game by someone with a criminal record. He purchased these from a gun show. Unlike today's social media it didn't even get mentioned except a mention in a tiny article in the local newspaper. Detriot is like a Zone in that abandonment nuclear powerplant in ukraine. yet michigon allows open carry. Our governments should have the ablility to modify the constitution. Its what our forefathers would have wanted. If the people don't want the second amendment then it should be removed. If they don't want the first, then it should be removed as well. It should be 'for the people.'"

Finally, we end with a comment left by pro-gun activist Rooster Coburn, who lives just south of Sanford in Florida. On a Huffington Post blog about the NRA's "Stand Your Ground" law in that state, "Rooster" wrote, "Africa for the Africans. India for the Indians. Florida for the Floridians!"

Pro-Gun Activists Weigh in On Murder of Florida Teen

A recent shooting in Florida has generated national controversy about civilian gun-toters, race, and the National Rifle Association's dangerous "Shoot First" laws (now enacted in more than 25 states). On February 26th, concealed handgun permit holder George Zimmerman, 28, tailed 17-year-old Trayvon Martin in his car as Martin walked back to his father's fiancee's home after buying snacks at a local 7-11. Zimmerman was the self-appointed "captain" of his neighborhood watch program and continued his pursuit of Martin even after a police dispatcher told him to leave the boy alone. When police eventually arrived on the scene, they found Martin laying in the grass dying. He had been shot in the chest by Zimmerman. Because of an NRA-written law that was enacted in Florida in 2005—which significantly liberalized the use of lethal force in public—Zimmerman has yet to be arrested.

Most Americans are outraged about the totally unnecessary taking of a young life and calling for justice to be done. Some pro-gun activists, however, have other, disturbing ideas about the murder of Trayvon Martin.

Commenting on a post at "Shall Not Be Questioned" (a blog authored by NRA Election Coordinator Keith Milligan of Langhorne, Pennsylvania), several pro-gun activists expressed thoughts which speak for themselves. First up was "mobo," who wrote, "OMFG, not that this has anything to do with anything really, but 'TREYVON' was this kid’s name? What on Earth is the matter with people? How is a kid supposed to get a respectable job when he grows up when the first thing the employers see is 'Treyvon' on the top of the resume?" He couldn't even be troubled to spell the deceased young man's name correctly. But "Heather from AK" didn't care. She replied, "That’s actually one of the more normal names, these days." Mobo added that no name "scream[s] 'ghetto' like Trayvon ... I guarantee you at least one juror will be inclined to aquit the shooter in part because of the victim’s name."

"dustydog" then suggested that Trayvon Martin got what he deserved, writing, "Kids, it is wrong to beat up armed people. As the unofficial motto of DS [Defensive Shooting] says, “The defenseless victim deserves what he gets.” Whether or not Martin "beat up" Zimmerman is unknown. Regardless, the notion that Martin deserved to be killed because he was not carrying a gun is grotesque.

Pro-gun activist "emdfl" was also quick to blame the killing on Martin, writing, "IIRC from the story, that poor, innocent, (17yo)chillin was visiting his stepmother/father(?). Probably from up north where it’s perfectly acceptable to smart mouth/attack older white people asking you what you are doing in their neighborhood. Unfortunately, Treyvon forgot he wasn’t in the disarmed-victim zone he is used to working in." Martin was actually from Miami, Florida and had no criminal record. Zimmerman, on the other hand, has been arrested for assaulting a police officer.

Next up was the following comment from "Moshe Gintel": "I think the young negro was stopped by Zimmerman, and the kid strong-armed Zimmerman. The kid probably took off on Zimmerman’s race and if he was alive, the kid should be charged with a ‘Hate Crime’ Horrid case of anti semetism. Jews should congratulate the Sanford police chief for not arresting Zimmerman." One of the many problems here is that George Zimmerman is not Jewish.

"Sage Thrasher" made it clear what his "gut reaction" was to the shooting: "You’re right about state of mind. If you’re walking in a strange neighborhood and a car starts shadowing you really slowly on the sidewalk is your first thought going to be 'neighborhood watch' or 'drive by'? Same if you see a teenage walking through your neighborhood: kid buying snacks or mugger? No matter how open minded you are, your reaction is going to depend partially on both your race and the race of the other person; much of that driven by statistics, probability and your own life experiences. (Personally, if I’m minding my own business walking back from a store and car starts following me, my first thought probably isn’t going to be 'somebody wants directions' unless it’s a very nice neighborhood.) In the same way, many of our (and I’ll admit, my) gut reactions to this story are based partially on the age and race of the two participants in trying to decide who the actual 'victim' was in this case."

Finally, Clayton Cramer, the author of a new report for the CATO Institute entitled, "Tough Targets: When Criminals Face Armed Resistance from Citizens," drew the following conclusion on his blog: "Zimmerman, the shooter, had a bloody nose and blood on the back of his head. Based on what the witness said, it sounds like he was getting hit pretty hard by the 17 year old. Regardless of how bad a decision Zimmerman made in confronting Trayvon Martin, once it reached this point, shooting was the right decision."

Really? It's the "right decision" to respond in a fistfight by shooting and killing the other guy? Is this what now passes for the "rule of law" in the pro-gun community? "Shoot First," indeed...

Wisconsin Gun-Toters Dabble in Misogyny, Homophobia

Back in May 2011, we examined some disturbing comments that were posted at a Facebook page called "Wisconsin Anti-Violence Effort Lies." The page serves as a platform for pro-gun activists to attack the Wisconsin Anti-Violence Effort (WAVE) and its executive director, Jeri Bonavia. WAVE "is Wisconsin's only statewide grassroots organization solely dedicated to reducing gun violence, injuries and deaths."

One would think that the folks at "WAVE Lies" would be in a slightly better mood these days. On July 6, 2012, Wisconsin's Republican Governor, Scott Walker, signed legislation into law (with National Rifle Association Institute for Legislative Action Executive Director Chris Cox immediately at his side) that allows the state's residents to carry loaded, concealed handguns in public.

But that apparently hasn't improved their spirits. On February 11, pro-gun activist Rob Luke of Barbaroo, Wisconsin posted a doctored photo of Jeri superimposed on a Playboy magazine cover at the "WAVE Lies" page. Pro-gunner Grant Guess of Racine Wisconsin—who fancies himself a "Defender of Truth, Justice and The American Way," jumped in and commented, "That cannot be Jeri...she is far fuglier than that in any pic I've seen of her. Brrrrrrrrrrr." John S. Whittemore, a member of the U.S. Army at Fort Sill, agreed, writing, "OMG, that is one fugly bitch!"

That derogatory term is apparently quite popular at "Wave Lies." It was also used by Navy enlisted man Max W. Schmidt when Jeri blocked him on Facebook (one can only wonder why).

More explicit language was also employed. A few days later, Grant Guess added the following comment:

Who in their right mind would lay the pipe to anyone as fkn butt-ugly as Jeri?? I would not hit that with a dead dog's dildo. I prefer my women to actually look like one.

Commenting on the "WAVE Lies" page on March 2, pro-gun activist Justin Mann said of those who support tougher laws to reduce gun violence:

They are ignorant and they will be victims. Just how things work.

Grant Guess liked what he heard, and commented:

We need sheep like the folks at WAVE so that the wolves have someone to bend over and brutalize. That's how most of them are conceived...

In the parlance of pro-gun activists, a "wolf" is a criminal and a "sheep" is a civilian who does not carry a loaded gun in public. The gun-toters are the "sheepdogs," who guard the sheep and herd all parties as necessary.

Guess' comment—with its reference to rape—was eerily similar to comments made about Jeri Bonavia and her college-age daughter in May at the "WAVE Lies" page.

When Guess found out that Jeri posted his comment on the Wisconsin Anti-Violence Effort Facebook page, he was incensed, and adding the following comment at the "WAVE Lies" page:

We are never going to change their minds because they are truly fucking twisted, irrational victims of incest or other brain damage. Fuck 'em and feed 'em fish heads. We have the power, they don't and I take great comfort in that knowledge, LMFBO.

The next target on the "WAVE Lies" Facebook page was Coalition to Stop Gun Violence Director of Communications Ladd Everitt, and now the pro-gunners indulged their homophobia. First page moderator Sean Hobena, the owner of Bad Bones BBQ in Minocqua, Wisconsin, described Ladd as "an effeminate homosexual throwing a hissy fit." "After seeing his photo, there can be no doubt that he is a master of tuning meat whistles," added Grant Guess. "I thought he specialized in the Skin Flute?" asked Hobena, taking the distasteful, sophomoric joke about as far as it could possibly go.

Max W. Schmidt and his buddies at "WAVE Lies" like to describe Americans who care about gun violence as "hoplophobes," a made-up term invented years ago by virulent racist/misogynist/homophobic NRA board member Jeff Cooper. But what do you call a group of grown men who hang around a Facebook page all day making comments like the ones cited above?

President Obama Called a "Jugeared Wonder-Tard" by Pro-Gunner

As we've noted before at this blog, nothing enrages a pro-gun activist like a woman speaking out, publicly and confidently, for tougher laws to prevent gun violence. As result, women frequently bear the brunt of some of most vociferous and threatening attacks by pro-gun activists.

This blog features such an attack on Joan Peterson, a gun violence survivor from Minnesota and the author of the blog Common Gunsense. In 1992, Joan’s sister, Barbara, was three years into divorce proceedings with her husband. After he left bizarre messages on her answering machine, Barbara got a restraining order against him. One day, Barbara and a male friend went to her husband’s house to deliver some paperwork regarding the divorce. Her husband erupted in anger and shot both of them in cold blood, killing them. Prior to the shooting, he had no violent criminal history. He took his own life not long thereafter in a psychiatric ward.

On February 17, 2012, Joan authored a blog entitled, "It's a Guy Thing." She commented on a controversial House of Representatives hearing that occurred the day before, in which a panel consisting only of men offered testimony on why religious institutions shouldn't be compelled to offer certain types of health care to women (e.g., access to birth control bills and other forms of contraception) under the Affordable Care Act.

Joan began to think about a quote we hear often in the world of gun violence prevention: Wayne LaPierre's famous quip, "The guys with the guns makes the rules." In Joan's words:

The guys. With guns. Making the rules. Hmmmm. Let's think about that for a while. First of all, apparently there were no founding sisters or women involved in the beginnings of our democracy. Who made the rules back then? Who got to decide about the wording of our Constitution? ... Remember now, these guys (and a very small group of women) with guns make up about 2-3% of Americans eligible to own and carry guns. Should they get to make the rules for the rest of us? ... The guys with the guns and those they have intimidated into believing their world view, have passed laws in 49 states now allowing some form of carrying concealed weapons around in public. When the laws passed, these guys convinced legislators that we would all be safer if they were allowed to carry their guns into every nook and cranny of our communities. Some of them may have mentioned that this would also make they and their families safer, thinking there is danger lurking everywhere they go. I don't know why the 97% or so of Americans who don't carry concealed or openly displayed guns don't feel that same danger risk. So for those folks who feel unsafe wherever they go, we have passed laws that allow for loaded guns in Starbucks stores, in churches, in colleges (or so they hope) in grocery stores, malls, etc. Yes, shootings have happened in all of these places, mostly by crazed people who shouldn't have had guns in the first place. And even people with guns could likely not have stopped these shootings. Some commenters on this blog even wrote that they wouldn't try to protect the public in these cases. It would be every "man" for himself ... I'm very happy that the guys in my life are not like the guys I have described in this blog post. Change is coming. Women are speaking out and claiming their place in the important debates of our time.

Joan might as well have blown a dog whistle for the white male "Culture Warriors" in the pro-gun movement. Several commenters jumped in to claim that more women are involved in shooting activities than ever, a dubious claim given that gun ownership among American women has remained totally flat over the past three decades.

Joan then made the following comment about Republican presidential candidate Rick Santorum's controversial statements about religion:



That was the last straw. Pro-gun activist "Thomas," a frequent commenter at Common Gunsense, jumped in and left the following comment:



The "bell-ringing" that Thomas is referring to takes place in a Memorial Garden in Lake Place Park in Duluth, Minnesota. Periodically, Joan gathers with members of the group Protect Minnesota (which formed when the Million Mom March Chapters of Minnesota merged with Citizens for a Safer Minnesota) and other organizations to remember victims of gun violence. Attendees are invited to ring the Memorial Bell for each loved one they have lost to gun violence.



As for the rest of Thomas' comment, well, it speaks for itself.