To the editor:

I attended a meeting of Moms Demand Action on Feb. 22. Expecting a larger crowd after the Parkland shooting, they moved the venue. I’d been to a couple of meetings prior, amazed by the local leadership of this group. So well spoken, so organized, so welcoming. We are lucky in Lawrence to have them as guides on this journey to gun sense.

But something important was missing. Someone asked, “Are we not to address the issue of assault rifles; is that just too hot a topic?”After another spoke passionately about the earlier 10-year ban, the crowd burst into applause.

Yet one could see the leaders’ unease. The national group had concluded that activism shouldn’t touch that one. We were chided more than once to not just show up after a school shooting — a reasonable request from these hard-working leaders. And the issues of background checks, bump stocks and the like are worthy. But are we missing our moment here?

It looks like this time is different. The high school students from Parkland to locally — I just can’t get enough of their honesty and drive. The fact that banks and brand names are dumping the NRA; I’m wary of corporate America too, but money does talk. The way the news cycle on this has not faded yet, let’s not dampen the enthusiasm because we’ve been disappointed many times before. Weapons of war in our streets and schools must go. Let those in the know say so.