Sunday, January 6, 2013

Civil Rights Leader, Clergy to Meet with New Jersey Lawmakers to Discuss Gun Violence


Walter Hudson, the founder and chairman of the National Awareness Alliance, a civil rights organization based in New Jersey, will meet with State Senator Stephen M. Sweeney, Assemblyman John Burzichelli and Assemblywoman Celeste Riley on Monday, January 7, 2013 at 10:45 a.m. to encourage them to support a bill sponsored by Senator Raymond J. Lesniak (D-Union) and co-sponsored by Senator Shirley Turner (D-Hunterdon and Mercer) to declare violence a public health crisis and establish a commission to study its causes.

The legislation comes in the wake of the tragic shooting in Newtown, Connecticut. The bill urges the federal government to reinstate its ban on assault weapons and expand background checks to all gun sales and transfers.

“The time has come for us to take a stand against these senseless acts of violence,” says Hudson of Penns Grove. “We call on all lawmakers across the state to support this effort. This is not a Republican or Democratic issue. This is about saving lives.”

Reverend Edward Dorn, pastor of Second Baptist Church in Pedricktown and Salaam Ismial, founder of the New Jersey Anti-Violence Coalition will also be in attendance.

Hudson pledged to meet with Senators Turner and Lesniak in the upcoming weeks and will seek a meeting with Governor Chris Christie to solicit his support for the legislation.

A press conference will be held at 12:30 p.m. outside of Senator Sweeney’s Trenton office.

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