Sunday morning dozens of North Texans impacted by violent crimes loaded up on a bus to travel to Washington D.C. to take part in the first Crime Survivors Speak March on Washington.
According to Crime Survivors for Safety and Justice, CSSJ, from across the country, more than 3,000 survivors of violent crimes and families of murder victims will take part in the movement on Tuesday to get their voices heard by lawmakers.
"We're going to Washington DC to advocate for crime victims' rights and basically to get some things changed so that crime victims can have more access to the resources and help that they need because right now a lot of the funding is being cut from our crime victim support," said Cathy Taylor founder of Journey4ward.
In 2013 Taylor's 27-year-old son, Corey, was shot and killed by a convicted felon in Houston.
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"I don't know if gun violence is going to change, It doesn't look like it's getting better, so that means that we need to have those resources readily available and Accessible immediately," expressed Taylor. “I think that there needs to be a lot more resources for victims of gun violence so that they don't have to face the barriers that we all have faced in the past when we've lost our loved ones."
During the rally goers will push for policy changes, to expand support for crime victims and their families financially, emotionally, add more programs to address the root cause of crime like rehabilitation and community-led violence intervention, according to a news release.
The group of North Texans share a bond they hope no one else ever has to experience.
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"I actually had a family member that was killed with gun violence So it's very important just being unified and also hearing other stories," said Lisa McDaniel who is also on the trip.
The trip is also personal for Melinda Hamilton, founder of Mother of Murdered Angels, who lost her daughter, Shemeka Rodriguez, in 2017 to a deadly shooting in Fort Worth. Three years later she lost her grandson, Derrick Johnson to gun violence. In 1980 she also lost her brother to a deadly shooting.
"Everybody's been there where we are right now and there's gonna be more people if we don't try to make some changes and that's what we're here," said Hamilton, who has spoke with NBC 5 in the past about advocacy and support for families of the victims.
According to CSSJ, 2024 marks the 40th anniversary of the Victims of Crime Act, the 30th anniversary of the Violence Against Women Act and the 20th anniversary of the Crime Victims Rights Act.
