This is America changed forever. Presented by CBS with your host, CBS News correspondent
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Jeff McKays. Welcome back to America change forever. As you know, we put a lot of focus on ACF on gun safety and these ongoing negotiations. And I think because we have, you know, we’re getting interviews that you won’t hear anywhere else, especially with the next one that you’re about to hear. On Thursday, the Senate called a halt to their negotiations over proposed gun safety legislation. They broke off the talks and while they are taking a four day hiatus, people from all over the country, Republicans and Democrats are participating in a new grassroots effort called 24/7. The People’s filibuster. Again, this is something that you won’t hear anywhere else right now. But listen to what they have to say John Bridgeland, a Republican who served as the former director of the Domestic Policy Council, under George W. Bush is co founder of 24/7.
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The 24/7 is a people’s filibuster. It’s a national platform for Americans across political party and sectors to express their views on the need for gun safety during this critical time when Congress is considering the enactment of major reforms to keep Americans safe while preserving individual liberty.
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Alan kz a Democrat, and former CEO of Citi year and national service program of America or is also a co founder of 24/7. The reason
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we’re launching this now is that, you know, there’s been 30 years nothing has been done. And 85% of the American people agree on a whole set of important gun safety laws that we’d like to see enacted, the House has passed a strong bill, the Senate now has a framework. And now it’s in negotiations. And we want to make sure that the people are part of those negotiations, that it’s not just backroom conversation. And so this is a platform for any American who wants to weigh in on what Congress is doing now with their views, to submit a video to our website, 24 Dash seven.us. To share their views.
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The two co founders discuss why they believe that it’s important for all Americans to urge their senators and representatives to enact gun safety legislation.
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I think a breakthrough is comprehensive reform red flag laws, they’re good evidence to show studies out of California and elsewhere, they’ve actually prevented mass shootings. So making sure there’s the authority to keep guns out of the hands of potentially dangerous people second, background checks. 80% plus of the American people support background checks for gun owners. And that’s got to be central to reform. Also support for raising the age you can buy a an assault rifle at the age of 18 in America, and yet you can’t buy a handgun until you’re 21. That’s illogical. And so raising the age for buying all guns to 21 years of age is essential. And then mental health supports school safety supports a whole suite of supports that can protect the places where Americans gather,
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you know, we have to get the Congress to listen to the American people. And that’s why we’re setting up this platform. We want to make it possible for the overwhelming majority to actually share their views directly with members of Congress Congress, not by just sending an email or loving a phone call, but by bearing witness by recording a video by sharing their stories. And why this is so important. This violence is now the number one killer of our children and teens. Number one, gun violence killer of our kids, that has to stop. And there are things that can be done. This is not like, you know finding a cure for AIDS or for cancer, we know what needs to be done. And so I think it’s because we just haven’t been able to break through. And part of the goal of 24/7 is to get the American people in overwhelming numbers to make it clear toilet lawmakers that it’s time to act.
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There’s been an emergence since these horrific shootings in recent years of March for our lives, Moms Demand Action, Brady Giffords, every town on and on these organizations that have seen this gap and have realized that in a democracy, you need big citizenship, you need the American people to emerge and make their views clear to the members of Congress. And that’s also why the people filibuster is so critical to continue to express the views of the American people so that as as politicians are moving on to other issues, this is front and center in their mind.
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And I would add we are honored that all of those major gun safety groups and many others around the country have joined our coalition. Our goal is to amplify their incredible work and their Hello heroic leadership literally for decades and try to put wind in their sails. It’s what they’re trying to accomplish. The time is now is horrible shootings buffalo Luna Park all day, you know, going back Tree of Life AME Church in South Carolina, Parkland Polls can go on and on. But I do think we’re at this tipping point moment. And as the American people weigh in through this 24 Dash seven.us platform I really believe we can, we can make this happen. And it’ll be a big win for all of us. And most importantly for our children, our families, our neighborhoods.
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I can’t stress enough that parents are afraid to send their kids to schools. Americans are afraid to go into movie theaters. Employees are scared to go in the workplace. I mean, that’s an unacceptable America and as March for our lives that 400 rallies around the United States. The reason they and other groups are joining with the People’s filibuster is they recognize the March has to continue. And it has to be brought to Capitol Hill
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among the first people to testify on the 24/7 platform, where Richard small a Republican, and Hirado mark is a Democrat who traveled from their hometowns near Uvalde, Texas, to make their voices heard, both small and Mark, as are multiple gun owners and former educators who had coached teams that played in Uvalde. Just before they gave their testimony on the 24/7 platform. They talked about how and why they are offering their testimony. Richard small.
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I’m a retired teacher, 37 years history teacher also coached now living out there in Charlotte, which is about 45 minutes from Ugalde. And we know that area rule well, and I don’t
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know Marcus, I’m from San Antonio, Texas, about probably 15 minutes from Dallas, Texas, my retired educator, being from Texas, our culture is gun ownership. You try to give your son or daughter a gun when they’re about 1214 years old, but we’re talking about hunting guns, not AR guns.
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I actually am still an NRA member, but I’ve made that decision. I’m not going to renew, but I have guns as hunting in my teenage years. And I’ve been in ra probably since my 20s. And my kids all know how to their profession. You know, we used to do skeet shooting together and all my wife has a concealed license like I do. And so those Jerry Marquez, he has a concealed license, some guns. I’ve been a part of my life. Quite a few years.
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My dad always had at 38 Smith and Wesson for protection at home and 22 bolt action rifle. So we were exposed to that as young kids, but he always put it away and the security, the gun, I got introduced to guns later as an adult. And then I bought a bunch of guns, rifles have hunted rifles. Not that this is important, but I’ve been a Democrat. I’ve always been a Democrat. And I know we have a stance. But I’m also a Texan. And I know the good that guns do and I’m talking about recreation hunting and that type. I waited till my son was 1213 years old. And then I started taking them hunting with me. And he’s an avid hunter, also avid fisherman. My daughter is proficient at shooting rifles, shotguns in that so I attend a lot of gun shows. And I just cringe when I see x students that I know don’t need to be at those places or have access to guns. And at a gun show at least the Texas is the only place I know of gun shows. If you have the money, you didn’t walk up to anybody that’s selling their personal gun, and you buy it off of them and I just cringe when I see that type of kid either a kid in a gang or things like that, to have access to guns like that they’re going to be for no good
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when we come back. We’re going to hear more from Richard small and Hirado Marquez, Texas gun owners and former educators who have offered their testimony on the people’s filibuster at 24 Dash seven.us
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We’ll have more of America changed forever presented by CBS right after this
Part 5:
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This is America changed forever. Presented by CBS with your host, CBS News correspondent Jeff gays.
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Welcome back to America change forever. I’m Jeff gays, as the Senate takes a long weekend away from their negotiations over gun safety legislation. A broad cross section of Americans are mobilizing. They are going online to participate in what’s being called the People’s filibuster. Their website says 24/7 is a platform for Americans across the country across differences to share from their heart, why they believe Congress has to take meaningful action for gun safety. Now, here again, our gun owners Richard small a Republican, and Hirado Marquez, Democrat, two Texans who live near Uvalde, discussing their testimony on the 24/7 platform.
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I could never bring myself to go to a wall even though I knew I should at least pay my respects, as an educator, but I couldn’t. Even though we’ve worked together, we’ve been best friends for 40. Some years, his political views are different in mine. He’s a Republican, I’m a Democrat, and not that that matters. But it doesn’t matter. You know, he’s a NRA guy. I don’t like the rhetoric at all. But we both agree on this, that the AR has no business anymore. In the hands of 18 year old anybody that’s not? Well, there’s no reason for it. Well, we got invited with 24/7 to come out here to this filibuster, and I kind of just want an answer, we go to where they gotta go. And if there’s any time to be here in DC, to let people here as it is now. I think the momentum is there. I think I’d like Richard, small here, again, Republican NRA guy that he sees the need for this gun control. And again, sensible gun control is what we both agree on, and that he had the will to turn in his AR I mean, that conviction, I guess to turn it as they are. That’s why we’re here because I think we’re at a crossroads where and in Texas, it is the wild wild west with weapons. I hate to say it. But there’s got to be a turning point at some point. And if the while there, I call it a massacre myself. The other massacre is that turning point, well, great for the nation, great for our country, great for every school. And that’s my point of view is I view it from schools, we are so vulnerable every day. I mean, it’s not a prison where you lock everything up and put a big barbed wire fence all the way around. It’s a school we should be welcoming. I think the pull push factor that you’re you know, why are we Why didn’t we all of a sudden come up here? You know, this, this 24/7 I think they call it the people’s filibuster. I like it the agenda, because it’s non partisan. And it’s kind of like there the other day, I was looking at some of their I don’t know, they’re what they believe in. And I think they can be the median between the two polarized you know, and I don’t want to get political but you know, Democrat views, Republican views extreme both sides etc. And it seems like it’s a middle springboard for people like Jerry and myself and I believe a lot of other people who are I don’t I don’t want to say other people aren’t but you know, the sensible people who are saying, Okay, let’s sit down and let’s let’s try to save lives. Let’s try to save kids lives. That is
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America change forever for this week. Thanks to Paul what he would call in District productive. Check your local listings to see when ACS airs in your community. For now, I’m Jeff McKays, and that is how America change forever.
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