John,

This past weekend, we faced another surge of gun violence in cities like Chicago and Milwaukee and tragic mass shootings across the country in Buffalo, New York; Houston, Texas, and Laguna Woods, California. These latest shootings confirm what we’ve already known – and what The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) just reported  — gun violence has been skyrocketing within the last two and a half years.

For many of us, this has always been our lived experience. Our communities, particularly our young, poor, and Black communities, are being ravaged by daily gun violence and targeted by white supremacists, and yet our elected officials still refuse to take action.

The cycle of gun violence must be stopped — but this can’t happen until our elected officials begin treating gun violence as the public health crisis that it is. That’s why this movement is critical. With gun violence in this country at its highest point in 25 years, it’s clear that our elected officials have not done enough to save lives. Their inaction is costing lives, and it’s up to us to hold them accountable. 

Thanks,

Crystal Cooper
Communications Director
March For Our Lives