Folsom Moms Urge People To Boycott Businesses Supporting NRA Fundraiser
FOLSOM (CBS13) — Some businesses around Sacramento and El Dorado counties are under fire for supporting a local NRA fundraiser.
Two Folsom moms say they saw an ad for the fundraiser online along with a list of sponsors. Now they're boycotting those sponsors to put pressure on the NRA to push for stricter gun laws.
"I am terrified everyday that when I drop him off it'll be the last time I see him," said Lindsay Melhaus.
Folsom mom and former school teacher Lindsay Melhaus is at her breaking point. She says the recent shooting in Florida hit home pretty hard.
"I've had to lock down my classroom and tell my 17-year-old students if the shooter comes into our classrooms, we're gonna pile the desks against the door," Melhaus said, tearing up. "And if the shooter comes into our classroom we're gonna hide underneath the cabinets."
Now she and another mom are banding together hoping to tackle gun violence.
"As parents, we are calling on the community to not support the NRA," the women said.
The moms are boycotting local businesses around Sacramento and El Dorado counties who are sponsoring this year's NRA fundraiser in Placerville.
Melhaus says she believes the NRA is blocking stricter gun laws from passing, allowing guns to end up in the wrong hands.
"We wanna see the NRA allow the CDC to study gun violence as a public health epidemic, and we wanna see better right background checks," Melhaus urged.
"The NRA is for stiffer background checks, we are for stiffer background checks," said Don Rood.
Rood is president of Mosquito Creek Outfitters in Placerville — one of several businesses being targeted by the two moms.
Although Rood supports the NRA, he says he also wants to see the government step up and conduct deeper background checks on gun buyers.
Until then, Rood says his business shouldn't have to suffer.
"It's gonna hurt our business, we're not gonna have our gun sales," said Rood.
Two opposing views, and two moms who say they are committed to doing what it takes to cap gun violence in classrooms across the nation.
"I'm done I'm not willing to have this happen anymore."
The two moms say theyplan to send the businesses a letter explaining why they���re boycotting them — they hope their movement becomes a community-wide effort.
