Memphis moms march against gun violence in Nashville

MEMPHIS, TN (WMC) - Memphis moms are marching against gun violence.

The group of 150 spoke with lawmakers in Nashville and advocated for what they call "common sense gun laws" and to stop "dangerous gun bills" in the Tennessee legislature from going through.

"Our attendance for this event tripled in the time since Parkland. So we are active all the time but yes, this gun violence has everybody's attention right now. And people are ready to do something about it," Katheryn McRitchie with Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America said.

The Memphis group joined others from across the state in the capitol city for the Moms Demand Action annual Advocacy Day.

Last year only 87 parents went.

Their call to action toward lawmakers is louder than ever in the wake of the latest school shooting.

"We support the second amendment while also believing that responsible gun ownership goes hand-in-hand with responsible gun policies, safety, and storage," McRitchie said.

The Tennessee chapter of Mom's Demand Action is now closely following several active bills--they're strongly against the now-delayed proposal to arm some teachers with handguns.

"We don't believe that arming teachers is an acceptable solution," McRitchie said.

The proposal was delayed at Governor Bill Haslam's request.

Just this week, Haslam announced a new panel to review school safety in the state. The top focuses include school entry and exit, school resource officer training and availability, and in-school student mental health resources.

Memphis' local group also met with all Memphis lawmakers at their offices.

As for the bill that could arm teachers--which is also opposed by the Department of Education--it is on a two-week delay.

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