Hillary Clinton Calls for 'National Movement' Against Gun Lobby in CT Visit

HARTFORD, CT - Five days prior to the April 26 Connecticut presidential primary, front-running Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton appeared in the state's capital to take part in a gun violence prevention forum.

“We need a national movement,” Clinton said. “The gun lobby is the most powerful lobby in Washington.”

The former U.S. Secretary of State and former First Lady spoke with family members of gun violence victims about her commitment to enact common sense gun safety measures as president.

Participants included family of victims of the Sandy Hook shooting, as well as family of victims of gun violence in other Connecticut cities and advocates for reducing gun violence.

Nelba Marquez-Green, whose daughter Ana was killed in the Sandy Hook shooting, said gun violence isn’t just about the guns and it's also about mental health. She asked Gov. Dannel Malloy, who was in the audience, to not cut social services.

“Gov. Malloy, I know that your job must not be easy and you have to make really hard choices… I’m concerned about the deep cuts to social services,” she said.

• See Related story: Supportive, Respectful Crowd Attends Clinton Appearance in Hartford

Clinton was asked by Hartford Rev. Henry Brown how to get cities like Hartford the resources it needs to deal with gun violence.

“Sandy Hook deserves everything it got, but what about Hartford,” he asked.

The country has experienced increased inequality on a number levels, Clinton said.

“Every child deserves a chance to live up to their God-given potential,” she said, adding that the country loses out on what could have been when children are stunted by inequality.

Related:

• Supportive, Respectful Crowd Attends Clinton Appearance in Hartford
• Malloy's New Budget Proposal: Layoffs, Cuts and Closures
• Donald Trump Connecticut Rally: Trump Fires Up Supporters
• Bernie Sanders Takes Flak for Newtown Gun Lawsuit Stance
• Presidential Candidate John Kasich Says CT has to 'Stop Punishing Businesses'

Malloy talked about how other industries such as pharmaceuticals are strictly regulated and called for more gun industry regulations.

“If this [gun] industry was treated like every other industry in America, we wouldn’t have the problem we have today,” he said.

Clinton said that President Barack Obama’s executive actions on guns will be continued under her. She asked voters to put gun violence on the top of their list and to support candidates who want to change laws and stand up to the gun lobby.

She criticized the federal law that gives gun manufacturers broad immunity against wrongful death lawsuits. Clinton voted against the bill and her opponent Sen. Bernie Sanders voted for it.

Erica Smegielski, whose mother Dawn Lafferty Hochsprung was killed in the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting ,spoke about how shootings affect the country every day and not just in mass shootings.

“My mom was murdered and she isn’t coming back no matter how hard I fight,” she said, adding that she hopes to use her voice to encourage others to stand up.

Kimberly Washington of Mothers Demand Action in New Haven said she has seen how gun violence has affected the city through her more than 20 years working in public schools.

“I can’t watch our young children killing each other every day,” she said.

She started her organization to help families affected by gun violence in the New Haven area. She too asked for more resources for cities like New Haven.

Newly elected Hartford Mayor Luke Bronin thanked Clinton for her commitment to continue Obama’s legacy of investing in cities and job growth. Many young people in Hartford turn to gangs because they have no hope and want to belong to something.

Clinton also said that as she goes around the country, she asks herself if schools pass the “Chelsea test” and if she would have sent her daughter there. She came across many schools that she wouldn’t send any child to, she said.

More support needs to be provided to school systems, especially infrastructure for schools that are mold-ridden and infested with rodents, she said.

“It sends a message to kids ‘you aren’t worth very much,'” she said about dilapidated schools.

A total of 71 Connecticut delegates are up for grabs in Tuesday's primary, one of five to be held in eastern states that day; the others are in Pennsylvania, Maryland, Rhode Island and Delaware.

Clinton currently has secured 1,930 delegates to 1,189 for Sen. Bernie Sanders. 2,383 delegates are needed to gain the Democratic presidential nomination. 1,646 delegates have not yet been allocated.

Photos by Tim Jensen