Watch the highlights: Rhode Island Coalition Against Gun Violence at State House

Jerry Belair, president of the Rhode Island Coalition Against Gun Violence asked the following question, “Rhode Island law limits the number of rounds to five when hunting deer. Rhode Island law limits the number of rounds to three when hunting ducks. If we can limit the number of rounds in a firearm to protect dear and ducks, how can we not limit the number of rounds to protect our children and citizens?”

Referring to the crowd that filled the main rotunda under the dome of the Rhode Island State House to advocate for sensible gun control, State Senator Josh Miller said, “This is what a majority looks like… A majority is a wide coalition…” that voted “in Exeter over two to one in favor of people who favor gun legislation.”

Shortly after her election to the Rhode Island House, Representative Linda Finn was contacted by Carl Cunningham Sr., who told her the story of his son, Carl Jr., who was killed the year before. “Carl was shot by a jealous ex-boyfriend of a friend he was visiting,” says Finn, “He wasn’t the intended target, he was just in the wrong place at the wrong time.”

“By a two to one margin, Rhode Islanders want to ban assault weapons. We have a very small percentage of gun owners in this state, less than 13%. It’s time for us to act, it’s time to do what the majority of Rhode Islanders want us to do, which is to ban assault weapons ban high magazine capacity and get our domestic violence laws in line with Federal laws.”

Nan Heroux calls herself an “accidental activist” motivated by a need to help protect “her grandchildren and yours” as a member of Moms Demand Action.