Iowa moms caucus for gun sense

Activists with Moms Demand Action have lunch at Hamburg Inn, an iconic presidential hangout in Iowa City. Rebecca Truszkowski, second from the left, said the group will endorse a candidate who shows the strongest support for gun control and background checks.

By Enrica Nicoli Aldini

IOWA CITY, Iowa – Lunch break at Hamburg Inn, an iconic Iowa City diner that’s an obligatory stop for many presidential hopefuls campaigning out here.

We noticed the four women at the table beside ours were sporting t-shirt and pins saying “Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America.” The smell of good quotes almost covered the fragrance of the award-winning burgers that were being served up hot and ready.

“Gun sense is what we’re caucusing for, and that’s why we’re pushing the moms to get out and show up on Monday,” said Rebecca Truszkowski, local chapter leader for Moms Demand Action.

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The organization is non-partisan and encourages affiliates to listen to the candidates on the campaign trail and see how they feel about gun control and background checks. While Moms Demand Action is not endorsing any candidate at this point in the race, Truszkowski said the group will eventually point to whoever has the strongest gun-control policy.

An Indiana mom started Moms Demand Action after the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting that killed 20 children and six staff members, Truszkowski explained. “We’re a bunch of moms that are willing to do something about guns,” she said.

Truszkowski sees the issue of gun control gathering momentum on the campaign trail.

“Eight years ago, no politician would have brought the topic of guns up,” she said. “Now they’re touching on it at every stop.”

Photo at top: Activists with Moms Demand Action have lunch at Hamburg Inn, an iconic presidential hangout in Iowa City. Rebecca Truszkowski, second from the left, said the group will endorse a candidate who shows the strongest support for gun control and background checks. (Enrica Nicoli Aldini/MEDILL)