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Supported by Steve Carell, Ellen DeGeneres, Jennifer
Lawrence, Kim Kardashian, Yoko Ono, Reese Witherspoon and dozens
of other Hollywood names, the campaign calls for guns to be kept
out of the hands of criminals, domestic abusers, stalkers and
those with mental illness.
It also calls for guns to be stored safely, out of the reach of
children.
"We believe the creative community has an opportunity to use our
communications skills and the power of culture to galvanize many
more Americans in the gun violence prevention movement," said a
statement by the group, the Everytown Creative Council.
About two weeks ago a lone gunman shot dead nine people at an
Oregon community college in the deadliest massacre on U.S. soil
in two years.
But Moore said the impetus for her campaign came from the 2012
fatal shootings of 20 children and six adults at Connecticut's
Sandy Hook elementary school. Moore told People magazine she
tried in vain to keep the news away from her then 12-year-old
daughter.
"I was like, 'I've had it.' I said to my husband, 'I've got to
do something. This is the one thing that I need to say something
about. This is my responsibility as a parent'" she told the
magazine.
Moore, who won an Oscar in February for her role as a woman with
early onset Alzheimer's disease in "Still Alice," said she went
through her address book to garner support. "The response has
been overwhelming. I'm so, so thrilled. Everybody feels this way
about this issue," Moore told People.
U.S. President Barack Obama made a concerted push for broad gun
control reforms after the Connecticut shootings but was
unsuccessful. He called again for new measures after the Oregon
shootings but was met with protests by gun rights supporters
when visiting there to console families last week.
(Reporting By Jill Serjeant; Editing by Steve Orlofsky)
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