People who are against the rising gun violence in Oregon are gathering to show support for stricter gun laws with an anti-gun violence rally in downtown Portland at Pioneer Courthouse Square on Sunday, December 12th, 1pm-7pm.
However, this rally isn't the typical protest we've become used to in the city. This get-together will feature music with a live band, free food, and promoters asking for your signature to help reduce the gun violence in Oregon.
2021 has set a new record in shootings and homicides, with a recorded 80 homicides this year. The previous record was in 1987 with a recorded 70 deaths. And community leaders are fed up with the increasing gun violence.
Several faith leaders in the Portland area are coming together this weekend to promote and get signatures for two gun reform initiatives. Dismayed at the rise in youth deaths, leaders are pushing for laws to restrict guns to the hands of those are at increased risk of committing homicide.
The gun control Initiatives 17 and 18 focus on "common sense" gun laws including passing a full background check and completing a safety training course. The initiatives also seek to ban assault-style weapons and high-capacity magazines in Oregon.
According to the initiatives regarding high capacity magazines:
large-capacity magazines are often associated with semiautomatic assault rifles, and can also be used with many semiautomatic firearms including shotguns and pistols, and estimates suggest that nearly 40% of crime guns used in serious violent crimes, including attacks on law enforcement officers, are equipped with large-capacity magazines;
and;
gun violence in Oregon and the United States, resulting in horrific deaths and devastating injuries due to mass shootings, homicides and suicides is unacceptable at any level, and the availability of firearms, including semiautomatic assault rifles and pistols with accompanying large-capacity ammunition magazines, pose a grave and immediate risk to the health, safety and well-being of the citizens of this State, particularly our youth;
With stricter gun laws, Oregon leaders believe that there's a chance to reverse the gun violence we've seen in the past few years. The leaders are also accepting donations. You can go here for more information.
The hope is to gather more than 112,000 signatures to get the initiatives on the ballot in November, 2022.