Moving Forward Together: Less Talk, More Action

Congresswoman Eddie Bernice Johnson would like to formally invite you to participate in solutions based town-hall forum “Moving Forward Together: Less Talk, More Action” taking place in Dallas, Texas this Saturday, July 16th   at 9:00 a.m. until 12:00 p.m.  This town-hall forum will be a meeting of community leaders, law enforcement, elected officials, and concerned celebrities that will focus on giving tangible solutions to foster better community/law enforcement relationships and to bring an end to the proliferation of guns on the streets of America and locally in the Dallas area.

The forum will take place at St. Paul United Methodist Church, 1816 Routh Street, Dallas, TX  75201* (*Additional FREE parking available at the Booker T. Washington School for the Performing & Visual Arts, 2501 Flora St.). We are asking that you participate with your presence at the event; social media support leading up to it, and your voice in echoing the solutions and plan of action that will come from the event.

This forum will allow the public to hear from the local police and elected officials and will allow those officials to hear directly from the people.  To make sure this is a forum that produces results, the Congresswoman has set a starting agenda of solutions, laws, and programs that will initiate the discussion at the town-hall:

• Getting commitments to end and decry all violence at all rally’s and protests.  Ensuring both protesters and police do not escalate violence at any legal protests that will continue to come.
• Educating the public on the Dallas Citizens Police Review Board, its function, and how citizens can be a part of it
• Ways to increase transparency and sensitivity training for officers now and in the future
• Discussing the ‘Open Carry’ law and ways to decrease guns on the streets

This forum will also discuss ways citizens can take part in the national movement around changing of laws that contribute to the problems of violence and community/police friction throughout the country:

• Expanded background checks for those that purchase firearms and ammunition
• Reinstatement of the Assault weapons ban
• Limiting the size of ammunition magazines and extended clips
•  Supporting the ‘Law Enforcement Trust and Integrity Act’ (HR 2875) would analyze existing accreditation standards and help establish new ones to ensure accountability. It also funds pilot programs to populate best practices to ensure accountability. 

Your voice must be heard.  We must not let the tragedy that struck our city last week divide us. These troubling times offer a unique opportunity to bring our city, our citizens, and our government together, united as one.