We are immeasurably sad for those who lost their lives, those wounded, and their families—and for all those who experienced the horror of those terrible moments. Let our thoughts and prayers go out to them today.
We’re also so angry. From children’s lives lost in school shootings, to Trayvon Martin, the Representative Gabrielle Giffords attack, and this latest slaughter of innocents, we are not safe from gun violence.
Mayors Against Illegal Guns has been campaigning to put a stop to senseless gun violence like this with commonsense measures, like fixing gun checks to keep guns out of the hands of dangerous people. They’ve started a petition in SignOn.org to demand action on ending gun violence.
Sadly, it often takes moments like these to bring politicians to their senses about guns. And while signing a petition seems so inadequate in the face of what happened last night, it’s important to do what we can. Today that means taking a small step toward preventing this kind of tragedy from happening again.
The people who died at the Colorado theater last night are only 12 of the 34 people statistics tell us will die from gun violence today—and among 19,000 murdered with guns since the attack on Representative Giffords in Tuscon.3
And yet today isn’t about statistics. It’s about the pain of human loss—the loss suffered by the community of Aurora, Colorado. And the losses to gun violence suffered today and every day by other communities, whose tragic stories won’t be covered on the news.
It’s in the power of Congress to greatly reduce these senseless shootings and make tragedies like today’s far less possible. They can start by enacting commonsense measures, like fixing giant loopholes in gun checks, that are supported by the vast majority of Americans—including gun owners.4
Let our anger today help give them the courage to act tomorrow.
The strength and support we draw from our friends, families, and communities are never more important than on days like today.
Thanks for all you do.
Justin Ruben, MoveOn.org Political Action
–Justin, Robin, Ryan, Elena, and the rest of the team
Sources:
1. “Gunman turns movie into surreal horror: ‘This is real,'” CNN, July 20, 2012
http://www.moveon.org/r?r=277858&id=46725-16609632-5qexKVx&t=3
2. “Gunman turns Batman screening into real-life ‘horror film,'” CNN, July 20, 2012
http://www.moveon.org/r?r=277863&id=46725-16609632-5qexKVx&t=4
3. “Background Checks,” Mayors Against Illegal Guns, accessed July 20, 2012
http://www.moveon.org/r?r=277860&id=46725-16609632-5qexKVx&t=6
4. “Poll: Majority Of Americans, Including Gun Owners, Support Tougher Restrictions,” The Huffington Post, January 18, 2011
http://www.moveon.org/r?r=277861&id=46725-16609632-5qexKVx&t=7
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PAID FOR BY MOVEON.ORG POLITICAL ACTION, http://pol.moveon.org/. Not authorized by any candidate or candidate’s committee. This email was sent to Krystyna Teller on July 20, 2012. To change your email address or update your contact info, click here. To remove yourself from this list, click here.