I’ll get straight to the point: I just got confirmation that the PA House of Representatives will be holding final votes on our Common Agenda to End Gun Violence1next week, as early as Monday! I’m also hearing that gun extremists are flooding legislative offices with calls and emails opposing these life-saving policies. We can’t let them drown out our voices. The only way we can win these votes is if youtake two minutes right now to contact your State Representative and urge them to vote yes. Already contacted your Rep? Great – do it again! Winning these votes would be historic, and we have to leave it all on the field today.
Pictured: Just two months ago, we marched for our lives in front of the Capitol building. Your action brought us to this point, where we're on the cusp of a historic victory. Photo Credit: Michael Mason
So many of us have lost loved ones directly to the epidemic of gun violence. We’re fighting for them. But we’re also fighting for the countless others who haven’t had a personal or physical loss from gun violence, but who are still traumatized by it. Maybe you can relate to this story that Karen in Pittsburgh shared with us about how she mourns the loss of her sense of safety, even during routine daily activities:
“This past weekend, I was at my church – a place that should be one of peace – participating in an evening exercise class. At one point, I saw a car drive slowly by, and my mind jumped right away to 'what if'. What if that's someone with a gun? We would have no chance. The next morning, we heard the awful news of the latest school shooting. Where are our leaders? Who will fight for change? DO SOMETHING NOW!”
The toll of gun violence – physical, emotional, mental – has disrupted our daily lives for far too long. The Common Agenda to End Gun Violence will make us safer – evidence shows that. From Extreme Risk Protection Orders, to reporting of lost & stolen firearms, to safe storage of guns, to universal background checks, the Common Agenda would prevent more death and devastation from gun violence. We must pass it through the House next week and continue our push in the Senate.
