Friend, children continue to die because a few in power in Harrisburg prevent us from doing the bare minimum. Here in Pennsylvania, gun violence is a horrific constant for kids. Accidental shootings, gun suicides, and mass shootings, all preventable, have become consistent presence in the lives of an entire generation of kids. We must continue to build power to ensure that legislators take action. As the New York Times noted in their recent coverage of this crisis, “The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported that the rate of gun deaths of children 14 and younger rose by roughly 50 percent from the end of 2019 to the end of 2020.” Last year, according to New York Times reporting, gun violence among young kids continued to grow, with over 1500 kids and teens dying from gun violence last year, an increase over the year before. We know what will reverse this horrific trend: it’s safe gun storage legislation, something Pennsylvania doesn’t have. Simply locking up a gun so that kids cannot easily use it would drastically reduce the likelihood of mass shootings, gun suicides, and accidental shootings. Here at CeaseFirePA, we’ve been advocating for this legislation for years, as the statistics around youth gun violence continue to become more dire. The average young person who commits a school shooting gets their weapon from an inattentive family member, not an illegal gun dealer. We cannot afford to go another year without this legislation, because we know what will happen next. The numbers will continue to climb, and too many of our days on the calendar will be spent watching the TV reports of children being buried as their loved ones mourn. This isn’t okay. This isn’t normal. We hope you’ll take time to read this article from the New York Times and share it on your social media channels and with friends. It is time for us all to be completely invested in the work of passing this legislation here in Pennsylvania. - Adam | 
