Democratic Women Candidates Respond to Georgia High School Shooting

The Fab Four’s new video: “What Can Mothers Do?” shows how guns, money, and votes are putting our children at risk.

ATLANTA, GA, UNITED STATES, September 9, 2024 /EINPresswire.com/ -- When the Fab Four – June Krise, Paulette Williams, Kim Floria, and Charlotte Sleczkowski – heard news of the Winder GA shooting, the four North Georgia candidates swung into action to produce a video and rally their base of fellow moms.

“We never expected a mother’s worst nightmare, a school shooting, to visit our quiet corner of the state,” Charlotte Sleczkowski said. “As a retired teacher, it’s the one thing you always fear, but also farthest from your mind.”

“Our elected officials frame these shootings as acts of evil, but they are also fed by political expediency,” Kim Floria, an interpreter for the deaf, said. “We got together and made a plan to engage the mothers in our district -- help them understand, 'You have the majority, so use your power.'”

A majority of Americans (61%) say it is too easy to legally obtain a gun in this country, and the same six in ten favor stricter gun laws.

The Fab Four’s marketing director asked the candidates after the shooting, “Are you comfortable talking guns in this corner of the state?”

The Fab Four took heed from Rep. Lucy McBath (D), mother of a gun victim, also from North Georgia, who declared at the DNC: "Our losses do not weaken us. They strengthen our resolve!"

“The challenge in Georgia is that our elected officials use guns to raise money and garner votes while neglecting the health and safety of their constituents,” Fab Four candidate and nurse June Krise (D) said.

The campaign ads bear this out. Rep Mike Collins (R), who represents Winder, GA, fired an assault rifle into a symbol of Speaker Nancy Pelosi in his ad. In a similar ad, Governor Brian Kemp (R) aimed a rifle at a teen boy seeking to date his daughter.

“It’s more than gun culture,” June Krise continued. “The gun lobby keeps these officials in office. In 2022, the Governor took over $50,000 in political contributions from Daniel Defense, the company that manufactured the AR-15 used in the mass school shooting in Uvalde, Texas. One month after a $25,000 Daniel Defense donation, Kemp signed a bill that makes it easier for criminals to carry loaded, hidden guns in public.”

Paulette Williams (D), a retired nurse and health educator, added, “24 states do not have laws in place to protect children from unsecured guns in the home. It’s not a Second Amendment issue – it’s about health and safety – protecting our children.”

Research from other states shows that mandating safe storage – like with child car seats – could reduce juvenile shooting deaths by more than 50%.

In 2023, a Georgia House subcommittee heard testimony on a bill that would punish gun owners who negligently allow firearms to fall into the hands of unsupervised children.

After a day of testimony, committee chairman J. Rollins (R) announced, “While I simply granted a hearing to this bill, this bill will not be moving forward.”

The Fab Four are asking Georgia voters to consider why the Giffords Law Center to Prevent Gun Violence has given Georgia an “F” on its annual scorecard.
“We have a chance at the ballot box in November,” Charlotte Sleczkowski said. “Please watch our video and vote to protect our children.”

ABOUT THE FAB FOUR
The Fab Four includes four retired women, all from helping professions, who are working to build a movement to protect women’s rights and reproductive healthcare in North Georgia. Rabun County Democrats manage the Fab Four's funding and coordination. They have expanded their initiative to protect children from gun violence.

The Fab Four attracted the attention of Georgia's WIN List, which recruits, trains, supports, and elects Democratic pro-choice women.

“Election results from other states demonstrate that women and moderate voters will cross the aisle to support candidates who pledge to restore reproductive freedom and medical autonomy," said WIN List Vice Chair CaMia Jackson, a former state representative from Albany.

Bruce Miller
Miller eMedia
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"When it comes to protecting our children from school shootings, Georgia has some of the weakest laws in the nation." WATCH THE VIDEO