The parents of journalist Alison Parker, who was killed with her colleague Adam Ward last week during a live broadcast in Virginia, have launched a campaign for better gun control legislation.
Andy Parker, Alison’s father, made an impassioned plea on Sunday for additional restrictions on buying guns on CNN’s “State of the Union.” Parker said that he’s been in touch with numerous gun control advocates about the issue.
In an op-ed published on Sunday evening in the Washington Post, he called out Virginia politicians by name for aligning with the National Rifle Association (NRA) instead of voting for gun control legislation. Parker said that “we must focus our attention on the legislators who are responsible for America’s criminally weak gun laws; laws that facilitate the access dangerous individuals have to firearms on a daily basis.”
Parker first hit Rep. Bob Goodlatte (R-VA).
“In his more than two years as chairman of the Judiciary Committee, Goodlatte has had plenty of opportunity to bring up universal background check legislation and other gun violence prevention bills. He has refused to lead on this issue, and he has done absolutely nothing to help contain the carnage we are seeing,” Parker wrote. “On the other hand, Goodlatte had no problem cashing his check from the National Rifle Association during the 2014 election cycle. Shame on him.”
He also bashed Virginia state Sens. John S. Edwards (D) and William Stanley Jr. (R). Parker called out Edwards for “breaking ranks constantly with his colleagues in Virginia’s Democratic Party” to vote against gun reforms.
Parker wrote that Edwards and Stanley “elected to serve their gun lobby masters” in lieu of voting for a bill that would allow a judge to temporarily remove firearms from the home of “an individual in crisis.”
Brave man who can speak truth to power while dealing with the loss of a child less than a week ago.
Same for Richard Martinez whose son was gunned down by that kid who went on a murder rampage in California last year. He was immediately in the news and is still working to get some legislation passed. At some point, there will be saturation and something will get done. It’s unfortunate that it will take so long that others will needlessly die.
How about a pledge to never vote for any politician with a high NRA ranking?
I applaud his efforts to honor his daughter by trying to prevent the murder of old people’s daughters and sons. Only, we’re talking about Virginia, a state where the gun lobby is even more powerful than in some other parts of this country.
James Baker’s taking a bullet intended for St. Ronnie did not deter the gun lobby. The slaughter of little children at Sandy Hook did not deter the gun lobby. And, alas, on-camera slaughter in Virginia will not deter the gun lobby and cowering politicians.
Until we-the-sensible-people of America are more vocal against guns and bloodshed, nothing will happen. Nothing except more bloodshed and grief and shame.
That this is even necessary shames Americans.