On the January 17 Witness on Gun Violence

by Michael Moulton After a nice gathering in Green Street Meeting mingling with people from different area congregations and a stirring performance from spoken word artist Paradoxx Rhapsodist, I bicycled down to Broad and Poplar to a large North Philadelphia Church for worship. Coming out of the cold I was greeted warmly by a church volunteer at the door who let me bring my bike in (always a plus for people like me looking for bike friendly parking). The service was upbeat and the church was full with people with some spilling out into the upper aisles. The march to Colosimo's gun shop afterwards was organized and tight. I heard the police on-duty say there were 600 plus present. People at the end of the march gathered in front of a stage just past the gun shop. Speakers testified about the negative role of straw-purchased guns in urban life. A mother who's son was slain in 1990 by someone using an automatic rifle made her point clear. The gun that killed her son was made for killing people and was sold illegally to his killer. A change is needed. As the rally continued, Colosimo's gun shop remained open for business -- its entrance ringed by police officers and detectives keeping it safe from the dove-banner-waving protesters singing hopefully outside in the Philadelphia cold.

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