Local residents rally in Staunton against gun violence in the United States

Today was National Gun Violence Awareness Day in the United States.

The country where, according to Gun Violence Archive, the number of mass shootings increased from 415 to 610 from just 2019 to 2020.

A few Augusta County, Staunton and Waynesboro residents rallied with signs at the Augusta County Courthouse.

“To raise awareness for common sense gun laws and safety measures to keep folks safe in their own communities and their own homes,” Christopher Benjamin of Staunton said.

Common sense gun laws include red flag laws to help identify and take guns temporarily away from individuals who are at-risk of harming themselves or others. Benjamin also supports universal background checks before gun purchases.

Benjamin said today’s rally was in response to the increasing number of mass shootings in the United States: 10 to 20 per week.

“Crying every time we lose someone is not enough,” Sheila Smith of Staunton said. “Standing up, being counted is something you can do.”

Dave Copper of Staunton said he and several others have been meeting at the courthouse on weekdays from 5 to 6 p.m. with signs.

“To get people to notice what’s going on, to get them to wake up, to realize it’s not somebody else’s children who are getting killed. It’s ours,” Copper, a Vietnam War-era veteran who served stateside in the U.S. Army, said.

He said that if it is necessary to ban automatic weapons to save lives, then they should be banned.

“It’s gone way, way too far. The NRA should be sued on a daily basis is my feeling,” Copper said.

“I just don’t think there’s a need for these weapons and all this anger. I want my country back,” Kathleen Garcia of Augusta County.

Garcia said she has two young grandchildren in public school in Maine and she worries about their safety.

She feels her country is being taken away from her by Republicans who use the American flag to represent their political cause and the slogan “Make America Great” is wrong, because problems exist which need to be fixed. Institutional racism in the U.S. also bothers her.

“I want the country I grew up believing in,” Garcia said.

Kathy Schneiderman lives in Augusta County and believes that assault weapons are unnecessary and red flag laws are necessary.

“I’m here because I’m sick and tired of so many kids and teens being killed,” she said.