Issue link: https://www.epageflip.net/i/762522
BySusanHaigh The Associated Press HARTFORD, CONN. With the election of NRA-backed Donald Trump as president, gun control advocates are putting more emphasis on a long-term strategy of elect- ing like-minded lawmak- ers, passing state legisla- tion and fostering a grass- roots network that grew out of the Sandy Hook Elemen- tary School shooting four years ago. Activists say they have generated a big enough sup- port base since the massa- cre of 20 children and six adults inside the Newtown schoolhouse to bypass Washington and push for state-level measures such as universal background checks and persuade more restaurant chains to stop allowing patrons to carry guns. "We're pivoting to the states and to American businesses and saying, 'OK, when Congress won't pro- tect constituents, it's up to state lawmakers and com- panies to protect their con- stituents and customers,'" said Shannon Watts, who founded Moms Demand Ac- tion for Gun Sense in Amer- ica following the Sandy Hook shooting of Dec. 14, 2012. "It's a proven, effective strategy and winning strat- egy. And we're going to keep at it as long as it takes — to point Congress and the Su- preme Court in the direction the nation is headed in." Watts' group counts 3 million people as mem- bers, and she said it has benefited from a surge of interest since the election, with standing-room-only events in West Virginia and the Carolinas follow- ing Trump's win. Among its next priorities, the group wants to help pass a re- quirement for background checks on gun buyers in New Mexico and to defeat an Ohio bill that would al- low guns in areas including daycare centers, police sta- tions and colleges. Supporters of more re- strictive gun laws were en- couraged by some victories on Election Day. In New Hampshire's Senate race, Republican Sen. Kelly Ayo- tte narrowly lost to Dem- ocratic Gov. Maggie Has- san after being targeted by gun-control groups and a political action committee of Connecticut Sen. Chris Murphy. They are also heartened that gun control-related ballot initiatives passed in three states — Califor- nia, Nevada and Washing- ton — in this year's elec- tion. California's measure prohibits the possession of large-capacity ammu- nition magazines and re- quires certain individu- als to undergo background checks before they can buy ammo. Nevada voters re- quired firearm transfers go through a licensed gun dealer, a process that in- volves a background check. And the Washington mea- sure will allow courts to is- sue so-called extreme risk protection orders to remove guns from someone show- ing signs they're a risk to themselves or others. Those measures come after groups successfully persuaded restaurants and stores including Starbucks, Target, Trader Joe's and Panera to stop allowing cus- tomers to bring in guns. But advocates still had their hopes set on Democrat Hillary Clinton winning the presidency. "We always knew it would be a marathon and not a sprint," said Po Mur- ray, chair of the Newtown Action Alliance, a group also created after the school shooting. "But this is a ma- jor bump in the road in our marathon." Firearms enthusiasts are expecting a sweeping ex- pansion of gun rights with Trump in the White House and continued Republican control of Congress. Their priorities include eliminat- inggun-freezonesatschools, reducing requirements for background checks and en- suring that concealed carry handgun permits from one state are recognized every- where in the U.S. "This is our historic mo- ment to go on offensive and to defeat the forces that have aligned against our freedom once and for all," said Wayne LaPierre, chief executive of the Na- tional Rifle Association, in a video released after the Nov. 8 election. Still, some groups that will likely oppose such steps are taking a wait-and-see attitude with Trump, while moving ahead with their causes. MASS SHOOTING 4 ye ar s a er N ew to wn , gu n control advocates tailor efforts JESSICAHILL—THEASSOCIATEDPRESSFILE Firearms training unit Detective Barbara J. Mattson, of the Connecticut State Police, holds up a Bushmaster AR-15rifle, the same make and model of gun used by Adam Lanza in the Sandy Hook School shooting, for a demonstration during a hearing of a legislative subcommittee reviewing gun laws, at the Legislative Office Building in Hartford, Conn. ANDREW HARNIK — THE ASSOCIATED PRESS FILE Attorney General Loretta Lynch takes a question during a news conference at the Justice Department in Washington. By Eric Tucker The Associated Press STERLING, VIRGINIA Hate crimes tear at the fabric of American communities and represent a stain on the country's soul, Attor- ney General Loretta Lynch said at a mosque and Mus- lim community center on Monday. Lynch spoke at the All Dulles Area Muslim Soci- ety Center as law enforce- ment across the country confronts a spike in hate crimes targeting Mus- lims. Her speech at an in- terfaith gathering in the waning weeks of the Obama administration was intended to reaf- firm the Justice Depart- ment's commitment to safeguarding civil rights and protecting racial and religious minorities. But she also acknowledged concerns from minori- ties that divisive rhetoric and a new administration could lead to an erosion of some of the progress she said had been made in the last eight years. Recently released FBI statistics show that the number of hate crimes tar- geting Muslims that were reported to law enforce- ment rose by 67 percent in 2015, to the largest num- ber since the year of the Sept. 11, 2001, terror at- tacks. Overall hate crimes rose by 6 percent last year. Many hate crimes go unre- ported. "Behind every number is a person," Lynch said. "Behind every statistic is someone whose rights have been violated. Be- hind the pages of the re- port lie communities who are now more afraid than before and more afraid than any American should ever feel." Hate crimes, she said, don't just target individu- als and should be of con- cern to every American. They tear at the "fabric of our communities. They also stain our dearest ide- als; they stain our nation's very soul." The FBI and Justice De- partment are responsible for investigating and pros- ecuting hate crimes under federal law. A Connecti- cut man who fired a rifle at a mosque and a North Carolina man who ripped off a woman's hijab on an airplane are among those convicted of hate crimes in recent months. Attorney General: Ha te c ri me s ar e st ai n on America's 'soul' JUSTICE DEPARTMENT InPrintEveryTuesday-Thursday-Saturday Online:Publishes24/7 www.redbluffdailynews.com Threeadditionalonline locations at no extra cost! 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