By Mrianda Parnell, WIS
COLUMBIA, S.C. (WIS) – This evening at Trenholm United Methodist Church, a group called the Midlands Organized Response for Equity and Justice, commonly known as MORE Justice, held a rally to address widespread issues in the community.
The group brings together 35 different congregations from around Columbia, looking to get to work with faith-based action.
“We want to see Columbia become a better place for everyone,” one speaker said.
Topics of concern included mental health, gun violence, and affordable housing.
So what’s the plan for change? This group intends to take their recommendations to local public officials in a community meeting next month and peacefully demand they take action.
“We show up with a demonstration of people power to get clear commitments from officials,” another speaker said. “Because people in our community need to make choices between paying for rent and paying for groceries because kids are being kicked out of a classroom because people are being gunned down in our streets.”
Some of the recommendations that MORE Justice plans to take to local leaders include: building trust between law enforcement and the community to help with gun violence, making sure that law enforcement officers have proper training to assist when someone is having a mental health crisis, and creating an affordable housing trust fund for the county.
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