MLive: Michigan's Congressional Democrats renew calls for gun control in panel discussion

BERKLEY, MI — Last week, the Democrats of Michigan's Congressional delegation were sitting on the floor in the U.S. House chamber, calling for a vote on gun control measures.

On Wednesday afternoon, they were sitting in a crowded room in the Berkley Public Safety Department, surrounded by community members and activists — the location had changed, but the issue at hand and the end goal hadn't.

U.S. Reps. Sandy Levin, D-Royal Oak, Debbie Dingell, D-Dearborn, John Conyers, D-Detroit, Brenda Lawrence, D-Southfield, and Dan Kildee, D-Flint, participated in a panel discussion on the proposals that kicked off a Congressional sit-in on June 22.

Those proposals include "No Fly, No Buy," which would prevent people on the terror watch list from purchasing firearms, and another measure that would expand background checks to include gun show and online purchases.

At the panel, several representatives stressed the spontaneous nature of the U.S. House Democrats' sit-in and the response it generated. Dingell, who gave a passionate speech during the sit-in describing her experiences with gun violence, said Wednesday that she expected the sit-in to last about a half hour. It ended up lasting more than 24 hours.

The conversation brought back a lot of difficult memories, Dingell said, but she hoped it would help keep others from experiencing what she and her family went through.

"I respect the Second Amendment — what we want to do is keep the guns out of the hands of those who shouldn't have them," she said. "If we don't stand up — or sit down — how are we ever going to make a difference?"