Amy Grant & Other Artists Push Tennessee Law Makers for Gun Reform

Sheryl Crow, Amy Grant, Kacey Musgraves and Jason Isbell led a delegation last Tuesday, lobbying Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee and state lawmakers to enact serious reforms following the deadly Covenant School shooting. 

"Gun violence in Tennessee is not inevitable," the group said. "We are not hopeless, and we will not accept inaction. This does not have to be our normal and we ask that you stand with us! We know that gun safety laws work. Policies like extreme risk protection laws and secure storage of firearms can save lives. And we ask that you keep your session open until these policies are put into place."  

"We need to put the safety of our children above politics and special interests," the group continued. "We appreciate Governor [Bill] Lee taking steps towards creating a safer community against gun violence, however, we believe these are only the first steps in improving the safety for our children and Tennesseans. It's time for you to pass effective measures that will keep guns out of dangerous hands before the shooting starts."

The group - part of Voices for a Safer Tennessee - is asking for "common-sense gun laws" to be enacted before the lawmakers end their session in May. Governor Lee previously ignited conversations about "red flag" laws, which would temporarily allow members of the police force to take away guns from anyone deemed a risk. 

"Anything that's pushed to a later agenda just loses momentum," Grant said. "There's too much pain to lose momentum."

"As songwriters, there's not a song when you show up at 10 a.m. - you just talk until the ideas come together. There is a force in communication, especially when it's a shared goal. By the end of the day, you've got a chorus," Grant said. "You actually can create something out of nothing with the right kind of concerted effort, and it can be game-changing."

On Tuesday (April 18), thousands of people participated in synchronous protests in Nashville and Knoxville, lining the streets of both downtown areas and linking arms. 

 

Tags : Amy Grant Gun Control Tennessee sheryl crow jason isbell kacey musgraves