Gabby Giffords, advocates rally for gun control laws in Lansing
LANSING, Mich. (CBS DETROIT) - More than one hundred people joined former congresswoman Gabby Giffords for a gun safety rally outside of the state capitol in Lansing on Wednesday.
One of those in attendance was Karla Aren, the mother of a Michigan State University student, who she said is still struggling with the tragedy.
"He's having a hard time," Aren said.
The impact the shooting has had on Aren's son and many other families, as well as students and community members, is the reason Aren and her husband took off from work to attend the rally.
"What is the point of saying "Oxford Strong" and "MSU Strong" if we are not going to do something about it," she said.
Many others joined Aren in her call for change.
"This isn't the way things have to be," said a speaker who is a shooting survivor. "I refuse to let a future generation of students grow up like we have, living in constant worry that any day can be their last."
Giffords also spoke during the rally, encouraging the crowd to work together to create change.
"Change doesn't happen overnight," she said. "I can't do it alone. Join me. Let's move ahead together."
A package of bills focused on universal background checks, safe storage and extreme risk protection orders or red flag laws are moving through both chambers.
Similar bills failed following the Oxford High School shooting when there was a Republican majority. But now that Democrats control the legislature, there's more confidence that something will get done.
"There's zero excuses anymore. Zero excuses," said one of the speakers. "I refuse to continue to watch innocent children be gunned down by people who shouldn't have a gun."
Republican lawmaker Phil Green disagrees with the gun safety legislation currently being considered in the legislature. He said the bills Democrats are pushing won't be effective in reducing gun violence or preventing mass shootings.
"Universal background check does not stop a person from committing a heinous act, a red flag law does not stop from committing a heinous act, it's all after the fact," Green said.
Green believes laws already on the books need to be better enforced.
"Adding more laws is just more laws that aren't going to be prosecuted. So we have to create a society of civil lawfulness, not civil unrest," he said.