Boulder resident pays for billboards with gun violence messages

Deborah Swearingen, Daily Camera, Boulder, Colo.
·2 min read

Apr. 15—Boulder resident and attorney Lindasue Smollen is on a mission to prevent gun violence, and she hopes two new billboards will help in her fight.

Those driving out of Boulder on Colo. 93, just south of the Boulder-Jefferson county line or on I-25 north of Denver are bound to notice the large, black-and-white messages urging change.

The billboards note the Second Amendment was written in 1791. Smollen argues that it's well past time for an update.

"We're not using traffic laws written in 1791. We're not using medical laws and devices from 1791," she said. "Things change."

The billboards share a similar message, ending with one final note: "Thoughts and prayers are not enough."

Gun control has become a key part of the American political conversation. Following the March 22 mass shooting at King Soopers in Boulder, where 10 people were killed, and others in Atlanta; South Carolina; and Orange County, California President Joe Biden announced a half-dozen executive actions meant to combat gun violence. Similarly, Boulder City Council on Tuesday will consider a resolution drafted by Councilmembers Aaron Brockett and Rachel Friend that will generally indicate its support for all legislation, both state and federal, that could have prevented the shooting that occurred at the south Boulder King Soopers.

Still, Smollen said the issue shouldn't be a partisan one.

It's not her first time embarking on an effort to advocate for change through billboard advertising. She views the billboards as a way to catch people's attention, to force them to stop and think. In the fall of 2018, she also paid for a billboard with a similar message regarding gun violence.

After the King Soopers shooting, however, Smollen decided it was time to reiterate her point.

"It is inertia," she said. "We accept gun violence. We are horrified that it's happened. We want something done. But then nothing gets done.

"We can't get background checks passed. We can't get the simplest inane little things," Smollen added.

The billboards each cost $5,500 a month. Smollen expects to leave them up for at least a month. She's footing the bill herself, though she has set up a GoFundMe to help with the cost. The GoFundMe can be found at bit.ly/3tm9c4a.