Democratic Club of Amelia Island (DCAI)
[email protected]
July 6, 2022
The Democratic Club of Amelia Island (DCAI) hosted a discussion at the Council on Aging in Fernandina Beach on June 30 focusing on preventing gun violence in the US. Jeffrey Tambasco, Deputy Chief, Fernandina Beach Police Department and Rachel Steele, Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America, were the featured speakers.
Topics included understanding US and Florida gun laws, the impact of the recent Supreme Court decision on concealed firearms, the new Bipartisan Safer Communities Act just signed into law by President Biden, and what we can do as individuals to move forward and bring about safer communities.
Deputy Chief Tambasco provided an overview of federal and state gun laws, including the laws that prohibit the purchasing or possessing of a firearm, “red flag” laws (or Risk Protection Orders/RPO) that temporarily prevent access to a firearm when an individual poses a threat to themselves or others, and efforts to eliminate “ghost guns,” which are assembled with parts and have no serial number.
Rachel Steele from Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America explained the goals of her organization: taking action to support gun laws, support local partners and strategies, elect gun-sense candidates, ensure secure gun storage, train and support volunteers, and create awareness. She emphasized that the group is anti-gun violence, not anti-gun, and seeks to educate state legislators in Tallahassee, run educational social media campaigns, and engage in community outreach, including schools.
An active discussion period followed the speakers’ presentations.
The Democratic Club of Amelia Island (DCAI), the Westside Democratic Club of Nassau County (WDCNC), and the Democratic Executive Committee (DEC) are groups that provide a volunteer base and organize the social activities for over 15,000 Democrats in Nassau County. For more information or to join, contact DCAI President Kathi Donegan at [email protected]