Mothers Against Guns Organize To End Firearm Sales

Mothers are tired of losing their children to gun violence. They are tired of funerals. They are tired of crying in anguish at the news of another young life snuffed out by a senseless shooting. They want the violence to end, and they are taking to the streets with the aim to close down the business that makes it all possible: gun shops. Mothers Against Guns is an organized effort to stop the flow of guns to depressed inner city areas where crime has increased due to desperation created by lack of economic opportunities. Drug sales have become the means of paying ones rent and groceries for too many families, which involves them in the ongoing turf wars with street organizations who strive to control the drug traffic and rake in the largest share of income from drug sales. It's a deadly war that requires firearms to protect ones right to sell on any given block, and often involves retaliatory shootings by those who seek to avenge past shootings. The cycle of violence never ends. Mothers Against Guns seeks to end the cycle by ending the gun flow. Last week, after protesters marched against Chuck's Gun Shop in Riverdale, Illinois, we explored the point of view of those who uphold the right to carry arms as a means of protection against crime. This week we'll look on the other side of the argument as Dr. JoAnn Roberts, one of the protest march organizers, explains why Mothers Against Guns is seeking to close the shops that sell the weapons which end up in the hands of those who are responsible for senseless shooting deaths.