Hi John,

This week, the trial began for the fatal shooting by a 17-year-old at a Black Lives Matter protest in Kenosha, Wisconsin in 2020. The court proceedings began with an appalling and offensive decision from the judge overseeing the case. In setting the rules for the proceedings, the Kenosha County Judge banned the word “victims” from his courtroom, claiming it is a “loaded word” and suggesting “rioters”, “looters,” and “arsonists” as more acceptable alternatives.

This despicable decision is proof of the immense challenges we are facing in defending victims and commonsense gun safety laws in the courts. But we will never back down from the fight to keep our communities safe.

FUND OUR FIGHT:
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What is so appalling about the judge’s decision is that the focus of this story should be on the victims of this senseless violence. Joseph Rosenbaum and Anthony Huber were shot and killed while exercising their right to use their voice. Theirs are the names we should remember.

They were killed and Gaige Grosskruetz was wounded because a 17-year-old had easy access to a weapon of war and nothing stopped him from bringing that semi-automatic assault rifle to a peaceful demonstration.

This tragedy was a painful reminder of an obvious truth: guns and protests don’t mix. No one should have to face the threat of gun violence to make their voice heard. That’s why we fought to pass a new law last year to reject armed intimidation by prohibiting open carry at the State Capitol and public demonstrations in Washington.

We’ve proven time and time again that Washington leads the way when it comes to gun safety policies—from background checks to domestic violence protections to Extreme Risk Protection Orders. We are committed to doing whatever it takes to end the gun violence epidemic and save lives. We have to keep fighting to prevent the next Kenosha. Please, make a gift of $10, $20, or $50 today to help honor the victims of Kenosha and all gun violence and support our lifesaving work.

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Together we can make a difference.
-- Renée (she/her)

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ALLIANCE FOR GUN RESPONSIBILITY
P.O. Box 4187
Seattle, WA 98194

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