Walking the Walk Against Violence

September 20, 2006 (WPVI) -- Some Philadelphia community leaders are making strides Wednesday night to end the epidemic of gun violence in the City.

Activists from a group called Men United for a Better Philadelphia, set out from the Germantown section of the City Wednesday. It is the start of a long walk on the road to the state capitol in Harrisburg.

With Daily shootings and the City's homicide rate now at 277, the activists are taking the message to Harrisburg that the gun laws must change to end the bloodshed.

We are talking about fathers, brothers, and sons taking their pleas for tougher restrictions on gun sales to Harrisburg. They say it is a life-and-death journey in the wake of so much gun violence.

Mike Doyle is one of a half dozen men walking 103 miles to take their concerns about gun violence to lawmakers in Harrisburg.

Doyle said, "Every time I read the paper or I see something on the news about violence it really disturbs me. And I have always wanted to do something about it."

The marchers are with Men United for a Better Philadelphia. They are making this anti-violence trek from the state s largest city to its heartland under the banner "Jobs Not Guns" they will walk 12-20 miles each day sleeping and rallying in cities along the way.

Bilal Qayyum of Men United said, "We are in a crisis not only in Philadelphia but across the country. We are in a crisis now."

They will arrive in Harrisburg for a special legislative session about violence next Tuesday. They plan to push for creation of state funded jobs and support legislation that limits handgun purchases to one per month.

"It'll cut down the number of guns circulating. It will cut down straw purchases. I couldn't, no, you couldn't go into a gun shop today and buy 20-30 guns. Go out on the corner tonight, or come tot his park today and sell those guns. One handgun a month will cut down on that," said Qayyum.

As the march began gunfire rang out a block away underscoring the seriousness of the problem.

The first leg of the anti-violence journey took them to Norristown where they rallied before regrouping for tomorrow.

A bathroom-equipped van will travel alongside the men as they journey to Harrisburg. Tomorrow they will put 18 more miles in on their anti-violence journey.

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