Sponsored by the Gun Sense: For the Common Good

Part of the SMOS Living Justice Ministries

You and your friends are invited to join the SMOS Gun Sense: For the Common Good team in Jefferson City on April 1 to attend the 2025 Missouri Advocacy Day. This is an opportunity to join with Missourians across the state to ask our legislators to protect our children and families by enacting sensible gun laws.

This event, sponsored by Moms Demand Action/Everytown, will begin with training and education and then offer participants a chance to visit legislators in groups of 8-10 people to advocate for common sense gun laws. You don’t need any experience, just the willingness to participate.  

Moms Demand Action has taken into consideration past experiences and feedback from previous years and are offering a morning and an afternoon session. However, everyone is welcome to stay the whole day or whatever works best for your individual schedule. Doors will open at 8:30am at The Millbottom near the Capitol with sessions at the Capitol running 9am – 12pm and 1pm – 4pm and a group picture of all attendees at noon on the Capitol steps.

Please review their “What to Expect” informational document and a full FAQ will be shared later this month along with more information on their “Know Before You Go” informational meetings.

SMOS Gun Sense is organizing a group to represent the Archdiocese of St. Louis to travel together and leave from St. Margaret’s at 6:00am that morning – so you can choose whether you want to go on your own or travel with the SMOS group to carpool.  Please click the link below for details and to sign-up.

SIGN-UP FOR ADVOCACY DAY EVENTS

But, in case that can’t happen, here are three other ways to support:

1. Pray with us after each Mass this weekend (at the Altar of Mourning and Remembrance) for those killed by Gun Violence in the past month.  We will offer a quick vigil honoring those who have died.
2. Write a letter to our state legislators to be hand delivered by those headed to Jeff City on Tuesday.  We have a template ready to go – just fill in with your personal details.  Three sentences is all it will take to share your experience of guns and public safety.  We will have copies of this letter at the tables at the back of church or in the basement.  A copy of the letter is also available below for advance viewing – and if you’d wish to complete it and bring it to Church, or drop it off at the Rectory or School anytime before end of the work day on Monday.
3. Wear RED this Tuesday to stand in solidarity with our parishioners and Moms Demand Action who’s leading the advocacy at the capitol.

CLICK HERE FOR LEGISLATIVE LETTER TEMPLATE

Some of this year’s legislative priorities include: 

• HB 495 – Turn control of St. Louis City police department over to the State rather than local jurisdiction (oppose)
• SB 147 – Expand our state’s existing “Shoot First” law even worse by encouraging people to use deadly force as a first option—instead of as a last resort (oppose)
• SB 74 – Limit local governments from taking action to combat gun violence in their own communities (oppose)