Dear John,

It was a cold January afternoon in Richmond, and I was walking past thousands of people carrying assault weapons. It was Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, and the streets were brimming with radical armed extremists in tactical gear. They clutched their guns with cold, angry hands and chanted, "Come and take it!" They brought their signs and flags to communicate their warped perspective, but their semi-automatic rifles served only one purpose: to threaten political opponents.

We would not be intimidated. We were determined to talk to our legislators. Shoulder to shoulder, I walked with my colleagues and fellow advocates up to the Virginia State Capitol. I felt pain for the survivors among us -- those who had experienced trauma and loss because of these kinds of weapons. They now had to pass armed intimidators just to get to the building, just to assert their rights as citizens. My jaw tightened with anger. As I turned and surveyed the armed extremists that had assembled, I knew why they were there: to use guns to frighten and intimidate legislators and citizens from passing new gun laws.

In addition to the massive display of armed intimidation in Richmond this year, we witnessed our fellow Americans be assaulted and suffer tragedy in Kenosha. We saw people run in fear as militants stormed the Michigan statehouse. These armed threats are real, and it is up to us to stop them. We at the Coalition to Stop Gun Violence (CSGV) need your help to disarm Trump's dangerous citizen militia. Will you join us today? secure.csgv.org/page/contribute/donate-today-to-csgv-l

Make no mistake -- these heavily armed individuals and groups existed before Donald Trump became president. But they have been emboldened and legitimized during his presidency, and they won't magically disappear when Trump leaves office in January. We cannot allow this armed intimidation to continue. The majority of Americans reject the extremism we see on the news and in our communities.

It's time to put an end to open carry and safeguard our democracy. Enough is enough. Support CSGV's efforts to combat armed extremism with a year-end gift today! secure.csgv.org/page/contribute/donate-today-to-csgv-l

Thank you,

Josh Horwitz

Executive Director

Coalition to Stop Gun Violence










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