Dear MoveOn member,
Our hearts broke once again last week after one of the most deadly mass
shootings in American history shattered the community of Lewiston,
Maine.^1
The gunman used an AR-15 style rifle, as in nearly all mass shootings.^2
The shootings took place Wednesday night at a bowling alley that was
hosting a children's bowling league and at a nearby restaurant.^3 A total
of 18 people are dead, and 13 people were injured—several critically.^4
For two frightening days, large swaths of Southern Maine remained in
lockdown, with schools and businesses closed. The gunman's body was found
Friday night.^5
John, no other developed country in the world faces levels of
gun violence as high as we do.^6 It doesn't have to be this way.
Commonsense gun control works—as individual U.S. states and countries all
around the world have shown.^7
We must get weapons of war off of our streets. And now.
As author Stephen King, who lives in Maine, said on Thursday morning,
"It's the rapid-fire killing machines, people. This is madness in the name
of freedom. Stop electing apologists for murder."^8
But some Republicans in Congress want to name the AR-15 the "national
firearm."^9 The new House speaker, Mike Johnson, is a shill for the
NRA.^10 Republicans in Congress wear pins with AR-15s on their lapels to
mock efforts to pass gun safety laws. Republicans in Congress stand in the
way of ALL commonsense gun safety bills—even research by government
agencies on gun violence.^11
But we can finally make change and pass gun safety laws—including an
assault weapons ban, which President Joe Biden has long supported.^12
Here's how:
Right now, there are 18 vulnerable House Republicans who stand in the way
of protecting our bowling alleys, restaurants, schools, places of worship,
grocery stores, movie theaters, concerts, communities, and even our own
homes. These 18 Republicans represent districts that President Biden won
in 2020—meaning we can defeat them next year, if we come together to make
it happen.
There is a clear path forward to defeating these GOP obstructionists, and
MoveOn has made the decision to go all in to ensure they lose in 2024,
giving Democrats control of the House and the ability to pass gun
legislation. We'll explain the plan below, but first we need to ask if you
can donate $5 a month to power this lifesaving work.
[ [link removed] ]Yes, I'll chip in monthly.
[ [link removed] ]No, I'm sorry, I can't make a monthly donation.
We call these members of Congress the "Complicit Caucus": 18 Republicans
who won their seats by narrow margins in 2022 in districts that President
Biden won in 2020. During their campaigns, they all pretended to be
moderates who would put their constituents over their party, but they have
voted in lockstep with MAGA extremists like Marjorie Taylor Greene and new
House Speaker Mike Johnson.
These Republican representatives all represent purple and even blue
districts—with constituents who overwhelmingly support commonsense gun
laws—and if we can defeat just five of them, we will flip control of the
House, paving the way for Democrats to not just pass gun safety laws but
also codify the right to an abortion, protect Social Security and
Medicare, and do so much more.
So how are we going to defeat them? By doing what MoveOn does best:
building grassroots power in each of these districts, led by MoveOn
members themselves.
With your help, here's what we're doing:
* Identifying and training cohorts of volunteers in Complicit Caucus
districts who will lead local efforts to host rallies, gain critically
important local press coverage, educate constituents about their
representatives' lies, and, when the time comes, mobilize voters en
masse to defeat them at the polls.
* Running ads specifically targeting swing voters in these districts to
highlight the far-right extremist positions taken by the Complicit
Caucus.
* Plastering their districts with billboards and other highly visible
reminders to voters that their representatives do not represent their
interests.
This is the grassroots, shoe-leather work that is pivotal in building the
power needed to defeat these candidates in 2024. Will you chip in
$5 a month to power this work through Election Day?
[ [link removed] ]Yes, I'll chip in monthly.
[ [link removed] ]No, I'm sorry, I can't make a monthly donation.
John, at the time of this writing, 35,479 lives have been lost
in the U.S. to gun violence in 2023.^13 Sadly, by the time you read this,
that number will be higher.
And Americans across age, class, and political party are all aligned in
calling for change.
A full 80% of Americans—including 71% of Republicans!—support universal
background checks for all gun sales.^14
And strong majorities support everything from banning assault weapons and
extended magazines to red flag laws and raising taxes on ammunition.^15
Every single day that the GOP-led Congress refuses to act, they are
endangering our lives and violating the will of the voters, and it is far
past time that they are held accountable for it.
MoveOn is working to ensure that happens, but as a member-led
organization, we can do it only with your support.
Please, if you are able, rush a gift of $5 a month—or
whatever you can afford.
[ [link removed] ]Yes, I'll chip in monthly.
[ [link removed] ]No, I'm sorry, I can't make a monthly donation.
With heavy hearts, thanks for all you do.
–Mia, Emily, Jayne, David, Ethan, and the rest of the team
Sources:
1. "LIST: Deadliest mass shootings in modern US history," NBC10 Boston,
October 26, 2023
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2. "How AR-15-style rifles write the tragic history of America's mass
shootings," NPR, May 10, 2023
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3. "What We Know About the Shootings in Maine," The New York Times,
October 28, 2023
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4. Ibid.
5. "Maine Shootings: Suspect in Lewiston Mass Shooting Is Found Dead," The
New York Times, October 27, 2023
[link removed]
6. "What other countries show us about America's gun violence epidemic,"
ABC News, November 5, 2021
[link removed]
7. "Gun Safety Policies Save Lives," Everytown For Gun Safety, January 12,
2023
[link removed]
8. "Fearful Maine residents stay home amid massive search for suspect in
killing of 18 people," AP News, October 26, 2023
[link removed]
9. "GOP Rep. Barry Moore Wants AR-15 as 'National Gun of America,'"
Newsweek, February 21, 2023
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10. "Mike Johnson's Ratings and Endorsements," VoteSmart, accessed October
26, 2023
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11. "Why Some Members of Congress Are Wearing AR-15 Assault Rifle Pins,"
Time, February 7, 2023
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12. "Biden once again urges Congress to pass assault weapons ban," The
Guardian, January 24, 2023
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13. "Gun Violence Archive 2023," Gun Violence Archive, October 28, 2023
[link removed]
14. "After recent mass shootings, a majority of Americans desire stricter
gun control laws," YouGov, February 1, 2023
[link removed]
15. Ibid.
Want to support MoveOn's work? Book bans have skyrocketed thanks to
right-wing state laws which have forced teachers to remove books from
their classrooms. In response, MoveOn is launching a "Banned Bookmobile,"
filling it with books that the far right has banned, and driving it around
to hand out those books, for free, in highly trafficked areas that will
attract media attention. To keep the Banned Bookmobile up and running into
2024, we need your help.
Will you start a monthly gift to power our critical work?
[ [link removed] ]Yes, I'll chip in $5 a month.
[ [link removed] ]No, I'm sorry, I can't make a monthly donation.
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