Gun violence continues to claim the lives of Americans every single day without much change from Congress, but local gun control advocates are still fighting to save lives at the state and federal level, they told Jim Braude on Greater Boston.
"Members of Congress have made a choice. They have chosen special interest blood money campaign contributions over the lives of 100 of us a day," said John Rosenthal, co-found of Stop Handgun Violence. He later added, "at some point, enough people will be killed in one public place that might locate Republican legislators' spines."
David Hogg, Parkland shooting survivor and co-founder of March For Our Lives said, "if we're just waiting for the next Sandy Hook, or Parkland, or Aurora, or Las Vegas, or San Bernadino, or any number of countless other shootings to happen, we're never going to end this issue."
Hogg said the filibuster is "killing our children" by preventing common sense gun laws to be enacted, but he remains optimistic for change. "Optimism isn't a choice when kids are dying. We have to continue working no matter what we think the future holds in the first place."
Rosenthal, using Massachusetts as an example, said it's possible to save lives without banning all guns. Here in the Bay State, banning military-style weapons and high-capacity magazines has contributed to a low firearm fatality rate.
The advocates pointed to some bright spots In recent years, including various gun law changes in states across the nation, and top health agencies now having funding to study gun violence and its impacts on Americans.
Hogg said he continues to have private meetings with the White House in hopes of creating an office for gun violence prevention and implementing a plan to cut gun violence deaths in half.
Braude asked Hogg what keeps him hopeful for the future as a young person. "We're going to outlive these people," Hogg said about Congress. "We have the most valuable asset that anyone in politics can have on their side, that the majority in Congress do not, which is time."
Watch: Gun control advocates lobby Congress
