Christine Leinonen has graced the 2016 Democratic National Convention on July 27, Wednesday night, to deliver an impassioned speech about the Orlando gay nightclub shooting that killed her son and his boyfriend. Leinonen's son Christopher, 32, and his boyfriend Juan Ramon Guerrero, 22, were among the innocent victims of gunman Omar Mateen on June 12.
Leinonen's speech was so heartbreaking that delegates and guests gave her a standing ovation afterwards. She was joined by her son's friends, Brandon Wolf and Jose Arraigada, when she delivered her speech on the Philadelphia stage, NY Daily News reported. Wolf and Arraigada were survivors of the nightclub shooting in Orlando.
Christine Leinonen Supports Hillary Clinton
Leinonen, who pledged her support for Hillary Clinton, said it's "common sense gun policies save lives," but she fails to see the common sense when her son was senselessly killed along with other people. After the shooting, Leinonen gave an interview with TV reporters and stressed that her position as the mother of a shooting victim is "a club that nobody wants to be in," according to Cosmopolitan.
Speaking about gun control back then, Leinonen begged authorities to "do something with the assault weapons so that we could stop this club from ever getting any new members," the news outlet added. Leinonen also mentioned during her DNC speech that her son was a huge Clinton supporter.
After Leinonen's talk, the crowd at the event chanted "love trumps hate." Watch her speech below.
Aside from Leinonen, other parents and family members of shooting victims also graced the DNC stage in an effort to rally for stricter gun control and reforms. Among them are Erica Smegielski, the daughter of Sandy Hook principal Dawn Hochsprung, and Charleston shooting survivors Felicia Sanders and Polly Sheppard. The latter urged the end of a loophole that permitted Dylann Roof to purchase a gun even though he already had an arrest record.
Hillary Clinton's Stance On Gun Control
On her official website, Clinton said she will "take common steps to reduce gun violence." She plans to do this by undertaking "comprehensive background checks, cracking down on illegal gun traffickers, holding dealers and manufacturers accountable when they endanger Americans, and keeping guns out of the hands of domestic abusers and stalkers."
In May 2016, Clinton raised her roles as both mother and grandmother at an event for the Trayvon Martin Foundation's Circle of Mothers, The New York Times reported. Speaking to mothers who have lost their kids to gun violence, Clinton said that she worries just like any parent and she wants to ensure the safety of children and people in schools.
