Gun Safety Forum May 19 in Westport

WESTPORT, CT - A community forum, entitled “Gun Safety, It’s Up to Us,” will be held in Westport on May 19 in Branson Hall, Christ & Holy Trinity Church, 75 Church Lane.

The free event is sponsored by the League of Women Voters, the Interfaith Clergy Association of Westport and Weston and the Democratic Women of Westport, and it is scheduled for 7 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.

"The session will provide families and communities with the most current information on gun safety and gun violence prevention," organizers wrote in a statement.

The forum is being moderated by Ron Pinciaro, Executive Director of Connecticut Against Gun Violence, and the scheduled panelists are:

• Nancy Lefkowitz, The Brady Campaign, Asking Saves Kids
• Andy Pelosi, Keep Guns Off Campus / Gun Free Kids
• Brent Peterkin, Project Longevity
• Mark Glaze, Campaign2Unload

Among the topics to be addressed include:

• Ways to safeguard our children, from play dates to college
• Innovative local programs that are working to curb youth gun violence
• Progress and potential of "smart gun" technology
• How individuals can pressure gun manufacturers through divesting and impacting their bottom line

Organizers hope to foster a positive discourse and present tangible safety measures.

“As clergy in our community, we work every day to help save lives however we can, said Rabbi Jeremy Wiederhorn, Chair of Interfaith Clergy Council of Westport and Weston, in a statement. "If learning about gun safety can ultimately save one life, then our time together will be priceless."

Added Pinciaro, “Connecticut leads the nation in the strength of its gun laws. We have the second strongest gun laws in the nation and the fourth lowest rate of gun deaths per capita. Smart gun laws save lives. But, there is so much more to do. That’s why forums like this one are so important. Communities must be involved in understanding the roots of gun violence in order to come together to change the conversation.”