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WESTBOROUGH, Mass. — When she speaks at a gun-control rally in front of the State House on Saturday, Westborough mom Ilyse Levine-Kanji will share her history — one that has been no stranger to gun violence.
"Most people have a perception that gun violence happens in the inner city, and not to people like them," said Levine-Kanji, who also serves as the Chair of Westborough's School Committee.
"I think that with Sandy Hook, it just shows that gun violence can happen anywhere, to any of us," she said.
Her grandfather, Hans Wachtel, was murdered in the 1970s by hired gunmen. Years later, a 1993 mass shooting at a San Francisco office claimed the lives of nine people, including her boss and one of her clients. Levine-Kanji wrote of these tragedies on the National Public Radio blog, CommonHealth.
"The debate is often theoretical, and I think bringing a personal story helps people understand that this is not just a theoretical debate, and that it really affects real people," she said, "even 35 years later."
Levine-Kanji's story, along with others like it, helps drive the One Million Moms for Gun Control movement, which is sponsoring a Beltway March in Washington D.C. on Saturday to promote immediate "common-sense" legislation for gun control.
The Massachusetts chapter is holding a demonstration for those who can't make it to the Beltway March. The rally will run from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at the Boston State House and will also feature Natick representative David Linski, who will detail his recently proposed gun control legislation for Massachusetts.
Levine-Kanji said she forwarded her article to Linski's office to help him with his presentation. They subsequently asked her to speak at the rally, which she said she was "very, very reluctant to do," having never spoken in public about her story.
She said her pending presentation has been weighing heavily on her mind over the past week, but she's begun to view it as an opportunity.
"I really do feel hopeful that real change is on the horizon," she said.
The One Million Moms for Gun Control movement, according to a news release, has multiple goals, none of which are to ban guns.
"We simply support common-sense solutions to the overwhelming and increasing gun violence in America. Moms are an important voice, that when harnessed, will wield significant change," said the release. "There are 4 million NRA members; there are 84 million American moms."
The movement calls for banning bullet magazines of more than 10 rounds, requiring background checks for all gun purchasers, reporting sales of large quantities of ammunition to federal officials, and limiting the scope of concealed weapons laws at the state level, said the release.
Levine-Kanji said her history is something she will never forget, and although she's nervous about her public talk Saturday, that history has also shaped how she lives her life.
"It made me realize how precious every minute of every day is," she said.
Comments (66)
I'm going to start with the easy pickin's:
-"Levine-Kanji wrote of these tragedies on the National Public Radio blog, CommonHealth", and three paragraphs later, "having never told her story in a public setting" - instant double talk - I hear you already, public speaking vs. public typing. The story has been told in public before.
- propose all the laws you want - most won't make it, and more people will be turned into law breakers. If you (or this reporter) can tell me all the laws regarding firearms in MA, I'll give you a cookie - I'm not worried about losing my cookies (lol), unless we pass more laws!
- none of the proposed laws would have stopped any of the multiple casualty shootings. That fact has been conceded by pretty much everyone involved in the debate. Even F'stein yesterday.
- I'm curious to know if any of the 'million moms' know that MA already has an AWB? We've been under it since 1994, and we decided to keep it after the rest of the country let it expire in 2004 - no folding stocks, no 30 round mags, no flash hiders, no bayonet lugs.
- strangely enough, I think all of mine just got stolen, at least on paper- there, now I don't 'own' any to be registered, and no one will come to my door in 6 months looking for them.
- Finally, if anyone is still reading the ramblings of this lunatic (me), I'd like to know where the pro 2nd amendment coverage was last weekend in this rag paper when close to a thousand people showed up at the statehouse. Pretty sure most were packin' that day, and no violence erupted - Why don't the moms have the rally in Dorchester or Roxbury, say maybe Friday night around 10pm? That's where they need the help - pretty sure the statehouse is fairly secure with all the armed detail police.
I think the real question is when are people like crossfire going to understand that the 2nd amendment was written during a time of putting powder into muskets. we are NOT, I repeat, NOT trying to take away the 2nd amendment. we are proposing common sense regulations and restrictions on weapons that belong ONLY on the battlefield. we are not trying to take away your firearms but we ARE trying to take away the ability for ANYONE to have high capacity magazines and high powered rifles. we ARE trying to close EVERY gun ownership loophole such as gun shows and internet sales. These are reasonable restrictions which reasonable people understand.
When the 2nd amendment was written, the battefield was the backyard, against the government. The end. If the redcoats hid behind trees, we might all be speaking english now... ummm.. yeah, another topic for another day.
-I need you to define 'high powered' rifles - are there low powered rifles?
- I need you to define 'high capacity magazines' - are there low capacity mags?
- There are no gun show loopholes in MA, and there are no internet sales around an FFL holder... And speaking of Holder.. . never mind, again, another topic for another day.
And the people who travel across state lines caring their guns only registered in one state and not in commonwealth? Mass laws do not matter when New Hampshire is next door.
Unless there is uniform laws across the country this can not be stopped.
It's still illegal for a MA resident to buy a weapon out of state and bring it into this state without a transfer. More laws on top of laws that don't work already won't stop anything. Only registered in one state? I'm not sure what that has to do with anything - registration is not your permit to carry, registration is similar to your license plate on your car - it's registered in MA, but you don't have to check in at the border everytime you leave the state... missing this point I guess. Mass laws do matter if you are taking ownership of a weapon from another state.
Bubbly-your questions are easy to answer if reasonable people take some steps to define the meaning of the terms. This is not about MA, this is about our country. Not sure about you, but I travel across state lines a lot. Look at NH two weeks ago, we had a retired police officer take a AR15 to a family's dog who was bothering two rabbits. How can you suggest some reasonalbe changes to assualt weapons can't help? There is no way some reasonalbe limitations to these weapons threatens our 2nd amdendment.
Isn't it already illegal to shoot a dog? Was he within 500 feet of a dwelling? Was he in fear for his life? If he used a single shot .22 would it be different? How about a .50 black powder rifle? What about a 1865 percussion pistol? Where does it end?
Apparently he had the right to protect his live stock. He had two rabbits in a pen and suggested the dog was stressing them out. Fired a warning shot and then took the dog down in what looked like a pretty residential neighborhood.
Fair point on the gun type, I'm not sure the gun type mattered? If it was a 22, I'm not suggesting we ban that. I do wonder if he did what he did out of a need to use the AR15 but who knows? As a suspect a guy like this would have a 22, why didn't he use that? Just as a side note: Also took the shots from his bedroom window. Why get out of bed to get rid of the dog when you can use an AR15!
-Warning shots are not encouraged - shoot to kill, or keep it holstered - only leads to liability issues when you miss.
-Farmers (obviously using the term loosely) have a right to protect their livestock
-Was the dog on his property?
-AR15 is technically a .22 caliber rifle - with a little more powder behind the bullet - .223" is the actual size of the bullet - 3/1000" doesn't really change anything.
- He should absolutely be cited for firing in a residential neighborhood, and probably disturbing the peace - was he? why not?
On his property and "cleared" of wrong doing. You can look into the rest. Doesn't have a great hook to the assualt weapon discussion so I kind of took us on a tangent, but I do wonder if the excitement of using the gun was involved. In this case-my pellet gun would be perfect. As my old boss would say "he took a hammer to a nat".
End of the day, clearly this guy retired too early-he needs the action! His resume would lend itself to be a perfect candidate for the NRA's call for armed gaurds in schools. Would you say he's just the right guy for the job? I would say he is way to trigger happy and am not comforted with the thought of this guy walking around my kids' school.
When are you people going to realize that what you are doing to law abiding citizens like my self who carry a fireman goning to learn that WE ARE BOT the ones connoting crimes and do you realize that we have background checks finger prints its a huge process to go through to own a firearm and yes people's firearms do get stolen and so don't cars and stolen cars have been used in robbers and car chases saying we should get taxed on our firearm is so wrong to you and alot of the other people who are unarmed due to not believing in the 2nd amendment glad to know you can protect your self if a armed ILLEGAL person with the possession of a firearm comes into your house so maybe you should take pride in what you have and your life and start protecting it
Auto correct screws up wording on iPhones still don't see your point of view to tax firearms that does nothing for people who own them legally
Because they deliberately started a forest fire and fear and panic. This is akin to the Salem Witch trials with the fear and hysteria they have perpetuated. I'd feel better if every same person around me had concealed weapons that were lawfully carried and used. The thugs / crazies doing the shootings - (which I am certain are blown out of proportion and a few probably didn't have the AR's they claim but might toss in there for the mass hype hysteria). The violent ones knowing someone can and would stop them, would be a deterrent and its likely that they'd think twice. Having legally armed people, would at least save many many lives.
Gov. Ronald Reagan, now lauded as the patron saint of modern conservatism, said he saw "no reason why on the street today a citizen should be carrying loaded weapons." Reagan claimed that the Mulford Act, as it became known, "would work no hardship on the honest citizen." The NRA actually helped craft similar legislation in states across the country.
I purpose a tax on large capacity guns. The high the capacity the higher the tax.
So those people who just need to fire a civilian version of the M-16 would pay $`0,000 a year in taxes on the gun.
If they can not afford they, they could have joint ownership of the gun and stork in at a range. 10 guys could split the taxes on the weapon stored in a vault at the gun range.
-'tax on large capacity guns'- what's a high capacity gun?
-how much tax is already paid on guns? - I'm pretty sure it's already $200 each for the manufacturer
-I propose a poll tax, 2 water fountains for all public areas and no affirmative action - yeah, those don't fly either.
-joint ownership / 10 guys could share the weapon - yeah, kinda like a commune.... leading to ... alright, you finish the sentence.
An annual tax paid by the owner of the gun. There is no constitutional argument for of this being against the 2nd amendment. You want a gun you pay for it. Crooks who are caught not paying their taxes can have their property seized. Al Capone went to jail for tax evasion. This will work.
I will finish the sentence. leading to nut jobs being unable to steal their mother's key to trigger lock and killing a bunch of children in an elementary school.