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Group rallies on Fountain Square in support of gun legislation

A group advocating for changes to state and national gun laws rallied on Fountain Square today with several dozen people attending the event, which featured speakers from law enforcement, medicine, politics and faith communities, as well as survivors of gun violence.

"Our purpose today, primarily, is to bring greater attention to the issues related to gun legislation, to call and demand action with regard to gun legislation," said Karen Hillis-Skipper, the event organizer and leader of the Cincinnati chapter of Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America.

Hillis-Skipper said the organization has 1,200 members locally and 80 chapters nationwide with more than 100,000 members.  She told the audience she was not an activist, at least not until December 14, the date of the school shooting in Newtown, Connecticut that left 20 children and 6 adults dead.

But Hillis-Skipper points out the group is not against guns or the Second Amendment.

"We're not trying to take anyone's guns away and we certainly respect the Constitution and respect the Second Amendment," she said.

Hillis-Skipper said the organization supports the perspective, shared by Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia, that the right to bear arms is not unlimited.

During today's rally, people signed postcards in support of gun legislation that will be delivered to Ohio Senator Rob Portman's Cincinnati office.