Stop Gun Violence: Enough is Enough

"We are sick and tired of trying to come up with new words to describe the anguish each time students and teachers are massacred – new words that say the same thing: Enough is enough. It is past time to act. Do something. Do anything."

Take Action Poster

Gun Safety Press Conference

As the country reels from the recent shootings at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas that left 19 children and 2 adults dead, and at Tops Supermarket in Buffalo, New York where 13 people were shot and 10 killed – the urgency to pass substantive gun safety legislation has increased.

On May 31, 2022, NEARI joined with other union leaders, RI's general officers, state representatives and senators, and a coalition of allied organizations to call for passage of gun safety legislation.

+ Support for Proposed Legislation

  • Limit Magazine Capacity to 10 Rounds H6614 (Caldwell) S2653 (Coyne)
  • Regulate Assault Weapons H6615 (Caldwell) S2224 (Miller)
  • Raise the Age from 18 to 21 to Buy Long Guns and Ammunition H7457 (Tanzi) S2637 (Goodwin)
  • Prohibit Open Carry of Long Guns in Public H7358 (Felix) S2825 (McCaffrey)
  • Strengthen Safe Firearm Storage Laws H7300 (Caldwell) S2734 (Seveney)

NEARI President Larry Purtill addresses 200+ supporters of gun safety legislation at a Statehouse press conference/rally on May 31, 2022. Behind him are assembled a number of representatives from the Rhode Island labor movement.

NEARI Government Relations Director and RI AFL-CIO Secretary-Treasurer Patrick Crowley speaks to the crowd of 200+ supporters of gun safety legislation at a Statehouse press conference/rally on May 31, 2022. Crowley spoke for a united labor community and many Rhode Island labor leaders are standing behind him.

TAKE ACTION: Thank Our Federal Delegation

We are fortunate in Rhode Island to have a federal delegation that supports common sense gun legislation. Use this NEA Action to send a THANK YOU to Senator Jack Reed and Senator Sheldon Whitehouse, and your representative, Congressman David Cicilline, or Congressman Jim Langevin! Personalize your message by thanking them for their steadfast commitment to passing meaningful legislation to end gun violence.

Take Action Now

Responding to Gun Violence

Resources curated by NEA to help support students, cope with crisis, and advocate for safer schools.

Robb Elementary Massacre

NEARI + RI Federation of Teachers Issue Joint Statement

Joint Statement Robb Elementary

Our schools should be safe and welcoming places for children to learn and education professionals to work.

We deserve safe schools free from gun violence and will continue to press lawmakers to pass common sense laws to protect our children.

Read the Full Statement

40 Days of Action: Enough is Enough.

March 12-April 20, 2018. What action will you take to commit to ending gun violence in our schools? Some ideas are below. This space will be updated frequently.

40 Days of Action Poster

Raise your voice! Rally at the Statehouse!

Wednesday, March 14 at 4pm

statehouse

Raise your voice and take action! Join us in the RI Statehouse rotunda to show your support for the safety of students and teachers. NEA Rhode Island supports RI Coalition Against Gun Violence 2018 legislative agenda.

A component of the RICAGV agenda is the Safe Schools Act. Bring allies with you and let us know you're coming. Enough is enough.

Watch NEARI President Larry Purtill's remarks at the March 14 press conference on our facebook page. Watch video View pictures

#ArmMeWith - Join the Movement!

#ArmMeWith Movement

In response to the suggestion that teachers should be armed in the classroom, two educators started the #ArmMeWith movement on Instagram with alternatives they would like to see in the classroom - instead of more guns. Join the movement!

Open the #ArmMeWith template here, type your alternative solution in the box and print it out. Take your photo holding your sign and post it to social media.

Add hashtags: #ArmMeWith #NEARIstrong #40DaysofAction. Be sure to tag NEARI on Facebook (facebook.com/NEARhodeIsland) and Twitter (@NEARhodeIsland) - We look forward to retweeting and sharing your posts!

*Printing template from a desktop or newer mobile technology is best!

"The solution to getting guns out of the public schools is not to put more guns in the public schools."

- NEARI Executive Director Bob Walsh

Events

NEARI fully supports the three main national events taking place across the country.

March 14

Women's March Youth Empower National School Walkout

The group of young activists associated with the Women's March is asking students and faculty to walk out of their classrooms for 17 minutes - one minute for each life lost in Parkland.


March 24

March for Our Lives

Organized by students from Marjorie Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, FL, this march takes place in Washington, DC. with sibling marches across the country in solidarity. Students demand their lives be a priority and want action to end gun violence and mass shootings.


March for Our Lives - Rhode Island

Can't make it to D.C.? There's a march right here in Providence from 1pm-3pm at the Statehouse.

Can't make it to the Statehouse? There are a few ways to show your support for these student-led marches.


Messages of Support

We want to show students our overwhelming support as they prepare for the #MarchForOurLives on Saturday, March 24 and participate in the National Day of Action Against Gun Violence in Schools on April 20.

That’s why we are asking educators, parents, elected officials, activists, and community members to share a message of support for these student activists who are taking action to end gun violence.

Record a video and post it with #ThankYouStudents and #40DaysofAction. It’s a quick, eas,y and impactful way to show you’re with them.

You can upload your video here so NEA can share it!

Post your video on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, or YouTube, and tag #ThankYouStudents and #40DaysofAction. And please, encourage your friends and networks to post their own video.


April 20

National School Walkout

Organized by Connecticut high school student Lane Murdock on the 19th anniversary of Columbine, the National Student Walkout is a nationwide protest of "our leaders’ failure to pass laws that protect us from gun violence."

Learn more about the National School Walkout and local participation here.


National Day of Action Against Gun Violence in Schools

National Education Association is supporting a National Day of Action to say "No More" gun violence in our schools. NEA calls on every community in America to join together—in a way that makes sense for them—to demand that our leaders take real action to end gun violence in our schools and to protect our students.

Learn more and find local events


Columbine Remembrance Day of Service

The Columbine school community honors the victims and survivors of the 1999 massacre with a Day of Service. What can you do to make your community a better place?

Is it a spring cleanup? Serving lunch to neighbors experiencing homelessness? Visiting a nursing home to chat with residents? Reading to Kindergarteners? Let us know how you choose to spend the day!

Legislation

NEARI supports the Rhode Island Coalition Against Gun Violence (RICAGV) 2018 legislative agenda. We do not support arming classroom teachers.

SAFE SCHOOLS ACT

Restrict Concealed Carry in Rhode Island K-12 Schools
H7591 [Kazarian, Ajello, Fogerty, Knight, Hearn] S2289 [Metts, Goldin, Quezada, Crowley, Calkin]

We support restricting concealed carry in RI K-12 schools to trained peace officers. Current law allows undisclosed CCP holders to carry weapons on school property without knowledge or consent of administration or members of the public. This allows guns to be carried on school property, buses, sporting events, teacher conferences, etc.

RI ASSAULT WEAPON BAN of 2018

H7766 [Knight, Ajello, Tanzi, Blazejewski, Diaz] S2493 [Miller, Goodwin, Lynch Prata, Coyne, Conley]

A bill to ban the sale, transfer, manufacture, and importation of military style weapons and high capacity magazines. Rhode Island should follow neighbors, Massachusetts and Connecticut (and 8 other states) to ban weapons of war for civilian use. This will not stop every mass shooting, but it will remove these dangerous weapons and start to reduce the supply in our state.

BAN HIGH-CAPACITY MAGAZINES OVER TEN ROUNDS

H7645 [Regunberg, Knight, Donovan, Ranglin-Vassell, Kazarian] S2319 [Goldin, Coyne, Euer, Miller, Goodwin]
Those looking to inflict mass casualties favor weapons with high capacity magazines. Allowing magazines of up to 100 rounds increases the threat to our law enforcement.

In the Sutherland Springs shooting, 26 were killed using an assault rifle, the dead ranged from 17 months to 77 years. When so many rounds are fired so quickly no one is spared with these weapons of war using high capacity magazines. Currently, Rhode Island limits magazine capacity for hunting to 5 rounds for deer and 3 rounds for duck hunting.