‘Change is Possible’

By Karen Dandurant
THE PORTSMOUTH HERALD
PORTSMOUTH — The Memorial Bridge was lighted up orange Saturday night, creating a backdrop for hundreds of orange-clad people calling for action to stop gun violence.

“When we began organizing this year’s event, we wanted to remember and to inspire action,” said Kathleen Slover, a volunteer with Moms Demand Action Seacoast who was part of the Wear Orange event. “The events that unfolded over the past weeks, the shooting in Uvalde (Texas) and the loss of one of our own students here in Portsmouth, senseless acts of violence, made this even more vital.”

Slover referenced the May 24 killing of 19 fourth-graders and two teachers at a Texas elementary school, where 17 more were wounded, allegedly by an 18-year-old gunman. She also referenced the shooting death a week ago of 8-year-old Portsmouth third-grader Quarius Naqua Dunham, who was struck while visiting family in South Carolina in what authorities are calling random gun violence.

What is Moms Demand Action and Wear Orange?

Moms Demand Action is a grassroots group of parents and members of the community focused on raising awareness of gun violence, promoting gun safety and supporting legislation for reducing gun violence.

Wear Orange is a nonpolitical event that recognizes the victims of gun violence and brings community partners together to raise awareness of gun violence. In January 2013, Hadiya Pendleton, who had performed at President Barack Obama’s inauguration, was shot and killed at age 15. On Hadiya’s birthday (June 2), her friends asked their classmates to commemorate her life by wearing orange, the color that hunters wear to keep them safe. The tradition has continued, and spread to a national event that allows communities to recognize and remember Hadiya and all victims of gun violence.

What people at Moms Demand Action rally in Portsmouth had to say

Valerie Sagin of Portsmouth’s South Church Community Action Team said it has been a long time since the Sandy Hook school shooting in Connecticut, where 20 children ages 6 and 7 and six staff members were killed in 2012, and we are still no closer to having gun safety laws.

“So today is an important day and we no longer want words, we want action,” she said.

Lilli Carpenter, a junior at Portsmouth High School read a poem that began, “I sing for America, but America doesn’t sing for me.”

She said, “I think change starts in our community by creating open conversations. A lot of people in my school are afraid to come to school. We should not be used as statistics for a Democrat or a Republican. We should feel safe.”

Eliot, Maine, resident Laurie Ducharme is a teacher. Her daughter Grace is 17.

“I can’t vote yet,” Grace said. “I can do this.”

“Change is possible,” said Rabba Kaya Stern-Kaufman of Temple Israel in Portsmouth. “It is natural to fall into the paralysis of fear. But then there is no change.”

Stern-Kaufman moved the crowd to sing and dance with her. That set the stage for the rest of the speeches as emotions ran high.

“People say, ‘This is not America,’” said Clifton West Jr. of Black Lives Matters Seacoast. “This is America. We have lawmakers gagging teachers from talking about racism. By failing to expose kids to diversity, we are responsible.”

University of New Hampshire student Caitlyn Turner raised thunderous applause when she noted that “If Black people started buying AR-15s, gun laws would start tomorrow.”

The politics of gun laws in New Hampshire

West called on New Hampshire’s U.S. senators, Jeanne Shaheen and Maggie Hassan, both Democrats who have supported changes to gun laws, to bring gun control legislation to the federal delegation.

Rachel Cole, a New Hampshire New Leaders Council alumni, called for Republican Gov. Chris Sununu to support sensible gun laws in New Hampshire “like our lives depend on it.”

Sununu recently restated his opposition to changing gun laws in the state. He told reporters following the Texas school shooting that “no state is immune” from the possibility of gun violence at a school. “I wish we could say if we just pass the right laws, everything will be just fine. It’s not that simple, unfortunately.”

Sununu’s statements echo what many Republicans nationally have argued, saying gun laws that require background checks, ban assault-style weapons or prevent people deemed dangerous from owning guns won’t help prevent deadly shootings. Democrats point to the United States having the most guns and the most mass shootings as proof gun laws could reduce violence.

State Sen. Tom Sherman, D-Rye, who is running for governor, said his family has been close to gun violence incidents four times.

“The people who take care of the victims, the doctors, the nurses, the surgeons are all calling for this to stop,” said Sherman, who is a medical doctor. “They are all speaking loudly. But in our state, our governor has caved to the gun lobby. This needs to change, so vote in November.”

State Reps. David Meuse, D-Portsmouth, and Debra Altschiller, D-Stratham, a candidate for state Senate, called for gun violence prevention legislation. They also asked the crowd to urge the governor to veto HB1178.

HB1178 would prohibit the state from enforcing any federal statute, regulation, or presidential executive order that restricts or regulates the right of the people to keep and bear arms.

“I have an F from the NRA (National Rifle Association) and so does David,” Altschiller said. “I have never been more proud of an F in my life.”

Altschller talked about how she sponsored a red flag bill passed by the House and Senate in 2020. It would have created a civil procedure to remove firearms and ammunition from someone who is at risk of harming him or herself or others. The process would have to be initiated by a person’s family, housemates or law enforcement.

Sununu vetoed it.

State Rep. Debra Altschiller is the wife of Howard Altschiller, Seacoast Media Group’s executive editor and general manager.

These articles are being shared by partners in The Granite State News Collaborative. For more information visit collaborativenh.org.