Virginia Mom Continues to Receive Misognynistic Threats from Pro-Gun Activists

Recently, the Coalition to Stop Gun Violence (CSGV) posted a blog about the heinous, misognynistic threats received by a Virginia mother who advocates for tougher gun laws. Now, just three months later, she has received so many new threats from pro-gun activists that we are compelled to post on this topic once more.

The mom in question is Abby Spangler. Abby has two young children and lives in Alexandra, Virginia. Following the horrific mass shooting at Virginia Tech on April 16, 2007, she started the Protest Easy Guns movement. As Abby tells it: “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.”

And that is exactly what Abby has done. To date, more than 110 “Lie-In” protests have been conducted in more than 30 states across the nation by Protest Easy Guns volunteers. These protests have called for common-sense gun laws to prevent individuals who are clearly violent and/or deranged from easily obtaining firearms.

Unfortunately, the sight of a confident, outspoken woman working to end gun violence is more than many pro-gun activists can take. And they have responded—cowardly and anonymously—by repeatedly emailing her some of the most vicious and ugly comments you can imagine.

The following is a sampling of the comments received by Abby in the last three months alone. The first comment is in reference to a video Abby posted of Lori Haas, a mother whose daughter survived after being shot in the head during the Virginia Tech Massacre of April 16, 2007. Lori is now a staffer with the Coalition to Stop Gun Violence and also works with the Virginia Center for Public Safety. The remaining five comments are targeted directly at Abby:













Those who think this type of cowardice will stop Abby from working to prevent the 30,000+ gun deaths each year in the United States are wrong. She remains as determined as ever, and has the love and appreciation of not only gun violence victims/survivors, but all those who care about this senseless epidemic.