By Rosemary Wolfe
Carrying signs and displaying banners, Myrtle Beach and Conway residents joined HCDP Gun Sense Action Committee members in a protest Sunday, October 31 outside the Myrtle Beach Convention Gun Show.
This is the fifth year that the Gun Sense Action Committee has protested the lack of background checks and other measures to reduce gun violence. Following are comments from the community espousing their concerns with gun show sales and policy in the state.
- Returned resident Crystal Dragone said that given the rising level of gun violence, “no one should be able to walk out of a gun show carrying out something that looks like a machine gun and to make it worse not having had a background check. Assault weapons must be banned from sales at gun shows and generally outlawed, as they once were.”
- New resident Jac Stanley of Myrtle Beach said, “It is insane that our political representatives don’t care about gun violence. We just want basic, legal, safe gun protections.”
- John Kennealy, of Conway, said he and his wife, Dawn, were at the rally because of the new open carry law and attempts by some legislators “to get rid of restrictions on concealed weapons.” He said banning assault weapons was a priority and said it is important to “get the right people in office, so government can do its job of protecting people.”
- Karen Meyer, Myrtle Beach, who was born in South Carolina, observed how easy it is for young people to get guns. She said that many years ago her father got rid of all his guns when she and her sister were youngsters. “I want people to know that we are not all on the same page,” she said.
The Gun Sense Action Committee is also working for the adoption of other gun protection measures supported by HCDP, including:
- Banning bump stocks, an attachment that allows a semiautomatic weapon to fire faster;
- Quicker reporting of felony convictions to background check lists;
- Evaluating and considering mental health issues in the purchase and restrictions of guns.
