Apalachee Shooting – Citizens criticize lack of action, especially from Collins
A late Sunday afternoon rally show local and area residents turn out to promote what was termed ‘sensible gun control’ after the September shooting at Apalachee High School. The event was held
on the historic Walton County Courthouse lawn just across from Congressman Mike Collins’ office on Court Street. Stephen Milligan photo | The Walton Tribune
In the wake of the tragic shooting at Apalachee High School, dozens of concerned citizens turned out Sunday for a rally in support of gun control laws, calling out state and national lawmakers for for inaction on legislation to prevent future school shootings.
The event particularly took aim at Rep. Mike Collins in particular, as Collins’ office is located in downtown Monroe, within sight of the event on the lawn of the Walton County Historic Courthouse, though Collins himself was nowhere to be seen. His office is located on Court Street.
“Once again we are grieving over another school shooting, this once too close to home,” Nicole Broerman, co-founder of the local Moms Demand Action group, as well as a mother and pediatrician.
“We cannot be a free country when kids cannot go to school in safety. Yet Georgia leaders have failed us, rejecting common sense gun laws in favor of carry anywhere laws.”
The event drew a small but motivated crowd Sunday evening, as both Moms Demand Action and Indivisible Georgia District 10 rallied in favor of stronger gun laws and against legislators fighting against them. Parents, doctors, activists and even a few political candidates, including Eric Gisler, who is running for the Georgia House District 121 seat, and Lexy Doherty, running against Collins for his District 10 congressional seat, were all in attendance Sunday.
Dr. Neil Priest, a retired ER doctor from St. Mary’s Hospital, said he had to deal with gunshot wounds in his career, some of them devastating, and said they were all too common when guns were far too easily available to those who shouldn’t have access to them.
“This is the problem, that it’s very, very common in our society,” Priest said of such shootings. “It happens everywhere. Instead of Russian roulette, we’ll have to call it American roulette when we
go out in the public sphere.”
Priest said legislation was needed to put more checks into the system, such as red flag laws, background checks, mandating secure storage of weapons and stronger crackdowns on gun
trafficking.
“Everyone knows the answer,” Priest said. “We need common sense laws.” Shelby Alexander, a parent from Barrow County, also emphasized the need for laws, while arguing they were not seeking to ban or confiscate guns.
“We support the Second Amendment,” Alexander said. “Many of us are gun owners. I’m a gun owner. But we expect gun owners to be responsible and use common sense.”
Alexander said politicians like Collins were holding back laws that could ensure gun owners were held to a higher standard and help prevent mass shootings.
“Mike Collins is sitting in the corner, doing nothing,” Alexander said. “Well, enough is enough. Mike Collins, you’re fired.”
Broerman said it was vital to balance personal rights with public safety and that it was possible to do both if action was taken by politicians who weren’t beholden to the gun lobby.
“It is possible to protect the Second Amendment and to also protect second graders,” Broerman said.
Neither Collins or his office responded to messages from The Tribune concerning this rally. The 10th District congressman has said many times during his campaign and while in office that he is in full support of gun rights.
Advance voting for the general election, which includes the race between Collins and Doherty, begins Oct. 15 and continues through Friday, Nov. 1.
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