Moms Groups Rally For 'Common Sense' Gun Laws on Mother's Day

Two of the local chapters of the non-profit group Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America held rallies in Greenville and Columbia on Saturday to coincide with Mother's Day weekend.

The group formed shortly after the Newtown massacre in December has held several rallies in South Carolina in support of passing tougher gun legislation.

Supporters of gun control in the Palmetto State have received mixed news of late. On the positive side, which will make it more difficult for people who have been adjudicated as mentally ill to obtain a firearm.

"That was very encouraging," said Erin Dando, of the Upstate chapter of Moms Demand Gun Sense. "Our real goal is making sure loopholes are closed."

At the federal level, the news has been less positive for Dando's organization. The Manchin-Toomey Bill on background checks did not pass in the Senate, despite intense lobbying from gun safety advocates, including former Rep. Gabby Giffords and families of the victims of Newtown. 

"It had to be very frustrating for those families," Dando told Patch. "I can't pretend to know what they are going through."

Dando said that after Manchin-Toomey failed her group saw a spike in membership and continues to grow.

Despite the failure in the Senate, Dando has hopes for a similar bill that is now in the House. A bill by Reps. Mike Thompson (D-Ca.) and Peter King (R-NY) has received bi-partisan support. South Carolina's Jim Clyburn has signed on as a co-sponsor with more than 150 of his colleagues.

"I want our leaders to work together for the public good," Dando said, who then added she's been puzzled the votes of South Carolina's members of Congress. "Every 14 hours someone in this state dies by a gun. We have one of the highest percentages of gun crimes in the country. It's tragic to see what happens in this state every day."

While she's pleased with the General Assembly's work on the Boland Bill, Dando is concerned about H308 which would permit guns at establishments where alcohol is served. "I'm not concerned about CWP holders who are trained and know not to drink while carrying, it's the people with guns who don't have a CWP," she said. "And I've had numerous bar owners tell me they don't want the extra responsibility of having to worry about who has a gun."

Regardless of what happens with H308, Dando knows she is in for a long struggle. "None of us (in Moms Demand Action) were active in politics before, but we are now. We know it's going to take a while for change to happen."

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