John, in my hometown, todos somos familia: Everyone is family.
Every day, we show kindness and love to random strangers. We help each other. We are a beautiful, resilient community.
But because of gun violence, people often think of tragedy and heartbreak when I tell them I am from El Paso. They don't know our vibrancy—they only know our suffering.
Four years have passed since a white supremacist fueled by hate for my community drove from Allen, TX to a Walmart in El Paso. Once there, he shot and killed 23 people, all to target the Latinx community.
Since then, we have fought a long fight to honor our loved ones with action. Governor Abbott and gun-lobby backed lawmakers in the statehouse have failed to protect us. They have chosen inaction over passing common-sense gun safety laws that would save lives.
But we have refused to back down. We are #ElPasoStrong—and we will not stop fighting for a future where we live free from the fear of gun violence.
As we mark four years since an act of hate-fueled gun violence devastated my community, join me in telling our story. Read and share my thoughts on how El Paso has fought for change, and how we continue to look out for each other in the wake of tragedy.
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Hate-fueled acts of gun violence have continued to take both the lives of Texans and of people across the country since the mass shooting in 2019.
In an average year, more than 25,000 hate crimes in the U.S. involve a firearm—69 a day. And since the mass shooting in El Paso, hate crimes in Texas have continued to rise, increasing by 6.4% just between 2021 and 2022.
Then in May of this year, hate-fueled tragedy struck our state again: A white supremacist walked into an Outlet Mall in Allen, TX and shot and killed eight people, including children, and shot and injured seven others.
We have lost countless loved ones, friends, and neighbors to senseless acts of gun violence. These tragedies will become even more common if lawmakers fail to act and continue to use hateful rhetoric as a political weapon.
We have no choice but to demand action. We will not let gun-lobby backed Republicans in Texas continue to promote the NRA's "guns everywhere" agenda and block the gun safety bills that would save lives.
Together, we'll show everyone what it means to be #ElPasoStrong.
Thank you for joining me in marking this heavy day, and for helping us build a safer future for everyone. Todos somos familia.
Myndi Luevanos
Texas Moms Demand Action
P.S. Honor the victims and survivors of the mass shooting in El Paso with action: Send a message to your U.S. representative demanding they ban assault weapons and expand background checks now.
