John —

On Saturday, I started getting calls and texts while I was out on the campaign trail. There had been another mass shooting – this time in a Buffalo, NY supermarket. 

The victims of the Buffalo shooting died in the same way my son Jordan did. They were shot going about their everyday life, simply because of the color of their skin. 

It was America's deadliest mass shooting so far this year, and our 198th in just 135 days. The suspect left behind a white supremacist manifesto, and also livestreamed the attack online. 

The manifesto contained arguments including "replacement theory" which has been popularized by Tucker Carlson and other far-right commentators. This once-fringe theory that white people will be "replaced" by people of color has been weaponized by extreme Republicans to fearmonger about demographic changes here in Georgia and all around the country.

Make no mistake, John, this was an act of domestic terrorism carried out by an individual radicalized by the far-right. 

And now comes the sadly predictable aftermath: Thoughts and prayers. Vigils. Interviews with shocked community members, and with angry and upset families of the victims. Media profiles of the shooter. Then, inaction by the legislative body who can begin to fix this uniquely American problem of gun violence: Our U.S. Congress.

My heart breaks for the families of the victims in Buffalo. We must continue our work to win this fight to end gun violence – for my son Jordan, for the Buffalo community, and for every family who has had a precious life cut short. 

Onwards,

-- Lucy