A mock funeral procession memorializing victims of gun violence in Wisconsin will wind its way from Appleton to Milwaukee this week.
The 422-mile procession, one mile for each of Wisconsin's firearm victims in one year, will begin Tuesday in Appleton.
The Wisconsin Anti-Violence Effort is coordinating Wisconsin's participation in the "Silent March," a national firearms violence prevention event, said John P. Engel, a spokesman for the group.
Marchers will stop in Marshfield and Madison before the procession ends Thursday at the War Memorial in Milwaukee.
The event will feature a mock procession and funeral, as well as guest speakers, including state legislators and victims and survivors of gun violence.
Throughout the procession, 422 pairs of shoes, also symbolizing Wisconsin gun death victims, will be collected. The shoes will be displayed at the Democratic and Republican national conventions this summer.
The 422 gun death victims are based on 1997 figures, the most recent data on firearm-related deaths in the state, Engel said.
The Silent March and shoe collections are intended to memorialize the more than 32,000 people who are killed nationally each year by firearms.
Since 1980, more than 680,000 people have been killed by firearms. That's 30,000 more people than were killed during all U.S. wars and military conflicts.
James Fendry, director of the Wisconsin Pro-Gun Movement, said the event wrongly assigns blame to responsible gun owners.
"The guns aren't causing any trouble at all," Fendry said. "It's the people using them."
***********************
I'd like to get a counter-demonstration going
at the War Memorial Center in Milwaukee. If anyone can show up, or if you know anyone who lives in the area that would be interested, please e-mail me. This is only three days away. I'll call Fendry to see if he can rally some troops.
Thanks,
Dick
The 422-mile procession, one mile for each of Wisconsin's firearm victims in one year, will begin Tuesday in Appleton.
The Wisconsin Anti-Violence Effort is coordinating Wisconsin's participation in the "Silent March," a national firearms violence prevention event, said John P. Engel, a spokesman for the group.
Marchers will stop in Marshfield and Madison before the procession ends Thursday at the War Memorial in Milwaukee.
The event will feature a mock procession and funeral, as well as guest speakers, including state legislators and victims and survivors of gun violence.
Throughout the procession, 422 pairs of shoes, also symbolizing Wisconsin gun death victims, will be collected. The shoes will be displayed at the Democratic and Republican national conventions this summer.
The 422 gun death victims are based on 1997 figures, the most recent data on firearm-related deaths in the state, Engel said.
The Silent March and shoe collections are intended to memorialize the more than 32,000 people who are killed nationally each year by firearms.
Since 1980, more than 680,000 people have been killed by firearms. That's 30,000 more people than were killed during all U.S. wars and military conflicts.
James Fendry, director of the Wisconsin Pro-Gun Movement, said the event wrongly assigns blame to responsible gun owners.
"The guns aren't causing any trouble at all," Fendry said. "It's the people using them."
***********************
I'd like to get a counter-demonstration going
at the War Memorial Center in Milwaukee. If anyone can show up, or if you know anyone who lives in the area that would be interested, please e-mail me. This is only three days away. I'll call Fendry to see if he can rally some troops.
Thanks,
Dick