Like so many of you, I am mourning for Kansas City — my hometown.

When I heard the horrible news about the shooting at the Super Bowl parade, my heart broke for all the people affected and their families.

I thought of my own family, many of whom still live in Kansas City, and the families whose lives are now forever changed.

It’s a horrific reality that Americans cannot go to celebrations, movie theaters, shopping malls, or even schools without fearing for their lives.

It doesn’t have to be this way.

We can put common-sense gun laws in place to help prevent this kind of violence — laws that ban assault weapons and install protective measures for the gun sale process like background checks and red flag laws.

Laws like this have been introduced in both the Senate and House, but we haven’t been able to pass them because of a frustrating lack of support from GOP elected officials. The reality is, Republicans are blocking action that would save lives — even though many laws to prevent senseless death from gun violence have support from the majority of Americans.

I don’t know exactly where we go from here, but I do know this: Just because we’ve failed to break through in the past, doesn’t mean we should stop trying.

I am calling on every single member of Congress to stop standing by and start taking action to address the epidemic of gun violence in our country. If you're with me in the fight for solutions, please add your name to my petition and urge everyone in Congress to work for meaningful change.