(Photo Source: grammy.com)

Music Artist Calls For Gun Reform

Ohio native John Legend, who grew up near Dayton, returned to the city in the wake of a mass shooting that killed nine people in downtown Dayton last weekend. Legend performed Simon and Garfunkel’s “Bridge Over Troubled Water” at Blind Bob’s Bar in the historic Oregon District, where the shooting took place.

Legend also issued a plea for gun control, calling the shooting a preventable tragedy.

“My direct message to legislators, to the president, to all of them, is the NRA doesn’t represent America,” Legend said. “How many more people have to be killed for us to realize that this isn’t working? If you claim to represent the interests of the American people, then you need to be doing your job in a way that makes everyone safer. We have to be able to live without the fear of being shot. We don’t have to live like this. We’ve heard politicians send their thoughts and prayers while failing to act. We’re done with that.”

Legend visited businesses in the Oregon District and met with some of the victims of the shooting, commending Dayton’s strength and unity in the wake of the horrific shooting.

“Every time one of these events happens, we see a strength of the community,” he said. “We’re inspired by everyone’s resilience, but let’s stop requiring that level of strength and resilience from people. Let’s prevent those things from happening in the first place.”