One of the deans of Missouri’s congressional delegation will be wearing orange on Saturday, in support of the “Wear Orange Day” walk in St. Louis.
Missouri Congressman Lacy Clay (D-St. Louis)
U.S. Rep. William “Lacy” Clay, D-St. Louis, says gun violence is a public health and safety issue for the Gateway City, for Missouri and the nation.
“Well it’s to really symbolize that the violence has to stop,” Clay says. “That’s the message that we are sending.”
Congressman Clay tells Missourinet there were more than 200 murders in St. Louis in 2017, adding that only one-third of those killings have been solved.
Clay says doing something to stop gun violence begins with people listening and working at the “ground level” to reduce the number of guns into the community.
He hosted a town meeting on Wednesday evening at Better Family Life Cultural Center, which is located in the old Emerson School on Page Avenue.
Clay says Better Family Life has been in existence for more than 35 years.
“They are on the ground trying to help communities that are experiencing violence, experiencing crime and have high levels of poverty,” says Clay.
Victims of gun violence participated in the town hall meeting, along with law enforcement officers, clergy members and ex-offenders who have committed gun crimes.
Clay supports tomorrow’s (Saturday’s) “Wear Orange Day” walk, which begins at 10 a.m. at St. Alphonsus “Rock” Catholic Church on North Grand in St. Louis.
The walk will finish at Herbert Hoover Boys and Girls Club, which is in the 2900 block of North Grand.
Clay says after the walk concludes, there will be a rally and community resource fair at the club until 2 p.m.
Clay, who’s in his 18th year on Capitol Hill, traveled to Jefferson City in March to file for re-election for a tenth term.
He and fellow Missouri Congressman Sam Graves, R-Tarkio, were first elected to Congress in November 2000.
Click here to listen to the full interview between Missourinet’s Brian Hauswirth and Missouri Congressman William “Lacy” Clay, which was recorded on May 29, 2018:
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