John,

Great news! Last night, the Holly Springs Town Council voted 3-2 to ban the open carrying of weapons on certain town properties. Between the two votes on this ordinance, there were over 300 comments in favor of the ban. Thank you to everyone who sent in comments. They made a difference!

We all know that an ordinance like this does not infringe on anyone’s rights, but it does make people feel safer from fear and intimidation. There is no evidence that shooters target gun free zones and we know that more guns in public places do not make us safer. The Town Council voted to join other municipalities in Wake County to ban open carry because it is good public policy. 

We also want to invite you to a virtual town hall that we are cosponsoring on  “Extremism & Gun Violence: What are the Connections? Continuing the Conversation”on Monday, September 21, 6:00 – 7:30 pm. This online event will open with a presentation describing the connections between extremism and gun violence, continue with presentations by leading NC gun safety advocates Gerald Givens (Raleigh-Apex NAACP President and NCGV board member) and Kaaren Haldman (Vice Chair, Durham Racial Equity Task Force) and conclude with small group breakout sessions. Discussions intended to raise awareness around gun violence prevention while offering a space for respectful, open conversation. Click here  to register.

This event is very timely as the opponents of the Holly Springs ban on open carry have threatened to open carry everywhere that they can if the ordinance passed, using fear and intimidation to try to win votes. That sort of fear and intimidation are the type of extremist tactics that often lead to gun violence and is a reality that we need to better understand. 

Thank you again,
Becky

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