JOHN,

My heart goes out to all the families of those who were injured and killed in the mass shooting at the campaign rally in Pennsylvania this past weekend.

Sadly, far too many of us have experienced this kind of violence and loss. Gun violence is an epidemic touching every community, and my district has seen multiple mass shootings recently. At a recent gun violence prevention rally in my district, we demanded common-sense gun reforms to create a safer future for everyone.

No matter your political affiliation or beliefs, we all deserve to be safe in our communities, at school, our places of worship, and with our families.

As school shooting survivor David Hogg wrote: “it’s way too easy to access firearms in the United States and no one is safe. Not kids. Not teachers. Not parents. Not even a former President.”

The person who killed David’s classmates used an AR-15 rifle, the assault weapon of choice for many of our country’s deadliest mass shootings. This same assault weapon was used in this weekend’s assassination attempt.

Since our country’s assault weapons ban expired 20 years ago, mass shootings have drastically increased. These weapons of war have no place in our communities. There is no reason to use a weapon that can fire up to 60 rounds per minute and tear bodies apart.

Last year U.S. gun sales hit a record high, and gun violence is now the leading cause of death for children and teens in our country. I refuse to accept this as normal.

But the far-right majority on the Supreme Court just overturned a ban on bump stocks, legalizing these dangerous tools that make semi-automatic guns like AR-15s more like machine guns to kill even more people more quickly. Congress must pass legislation in order to ban bump stocks for good.

With financial stakes in gun companies and donations from the gun lobby, many Republican members of Congress continue to block common-sense gun reforms. They’ve also worn pins in the shape of AR-15 rifles, disrespecting people who’ve been impacted by gun violence.

I’m demanding that Congress listen to the majority of Americans, who are in favor of stricter gun laws such as banning AR-15s and other assault weapons.

Please sign to urge Congress: It’s time to pass common-sense legislation to prevent gun violence, including banning assault weapons and bump stocks.

I refuse to accept this escalating violence and dehumanization as the status quo. Congress must act with urgency to address our country’s gun violence crisis and pass legislation to save lives now.

Sign now to demand immediate action to address the gun violence crisis in our country. Congress must ban assault weapons and bump stocks, which are used to commit deadly mass shootings.

Thank you for continuing to demand a country and a government that values life. Together, we’ll keep pushing for our shared humanity.

In service,

Rashida