Enough!

By Cheryl Mattox Berry

I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again. When a woman wants something badly enough, she’ll figure out a way to get it. She’ll plot, negotiate and sacrifice until victory is hers.

Ladies, it’s time we took up the mantle of leadership for tougher gun laws. We can’t sit around and wait for politicians to grow a conscience. Nothing, even the shooting of their colleagues, seems to extricate them from the death-like grip of the National Rifle Association.

Enough!

Gun violence is killing our children, spouses, relatives and friends, and destroying our quality of life. The things that we take for granted – going to a concert, dancing at a nightclub, sending our kids to school and watching a movie – are no longer safe. It’s gotten to the point where some people avoid going to public places that might make them an easy target for a crazy gunman.

How many more innocent lives must be stolen before it’s time to say “Enough?” The violence is escalating to the point where each incident claims title to the “worst mass killing in modern history.”

Enough!

And the politicians – mostly Republicans – who get millions of dollars in campaign contributions from the NRA? All they do is offer condolences and prayers for the victims and their families. Their sympathy is disingenuous and should be dismissed as fake news.

Enough!

Women-led movements have changed the course of history in this country and given a voice to people who’ve been invisible and powerless. Here are a few of the most notable causes spearheaded by women:

• Suffrage movement, which gave women the right to vote
• Civil rights movement, sparked by black women who boycotted segregated buses
• Roe vs. Wade, established a woman’s right to have an abortion under the 14th Amendment
• Gay liberation and LGBTQ movement, which advocated for equal rights and an end to discrimination in housing, jobs, lending practices and other areas.
• Black Lives Matter, a protest against police brutality in the black community
• Say Her Name, a campaign that focuses on police brutality against black women

There’s precedent for women to lead the movement that will change our nation’s gun laws.

Rise up!