In this month dedicated to love, the February meeting of the LOW Democratic Club on Wednesday, February 12 at 1:30 p.m. at the LOW Community Center, will focus on protecting those you love, particularly your children and grandchildren, from the risks associated with access to unsecured firearms.
In 2019, there were 238 unintentional shootings by children resulting in 99 deaths and 149 injuries in the US.
Gail Costello, group lead for the Culpeper-Orange-Madison Chapter of Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America, will describe the Be SMART program, which was developed to increase awareness of this issue and promote responsible gun storage.
The program is focused on taking five simple steps to help prevent accidental shootings by children: Secure all the guns in your home and vehicles; Model responsible behavior around guns; Ask about the presence of unsecured guns in other homes; Recognize the risks of teen suicide, and Tell your peers to Be SMART.
Ms. Costello will also talk generally about the proposed gun safety legislation now before the General Assembly and the specific legislation Moms Demand Action is advocating for during the session.
The club’s January meeting was cancelled due to bad weather, so, at the February meeting we will also get a legislative and campaign update from Bettina Weiss, campaign manager for U.S. Rep. Abigail Spanberger, and hold our presidential straw poll.
Voters should keep in mind that the Democratic presidential primary will be on Tuesday, March 3. Virginia is a “Super Tuesday” state. Make plans to vote at your usual polling place between 6 a.m. and 7 p.m.