Words alone are not enough to express our sorrow, rage, and resolve in the aftermath of yet another tragic spree of mass shootings over the last few weeks. I’ve long advocated for common-sense gun safety laws, so let’s talk about what that means.

In the Navy, when I used to carry an M-4 rifle and a 9mm pistol on missions combating Somali piracy, I was required to pass a background check, I had to regularly train on gun safety, and had I exhibited unsafe or threatening behavior, the Navy would have stripped me of my ability to carry a weapon.

Is it really too much to ask that in order to keep our kids and streets safe we hold complete strangers to similar requirements?

Let me be clear, Florida is actually doing pretty good when it comes to gun safety laws in our post-Pulse and Marjory Stoneman Douglas world. Since those two tragic shootings, Florida enacted a 21+ age limit on gun purchases and red-flag laws. In both of the recent shootings at the Buffalo grocery store and Robb Elementary in Uvalde, 18-year-old troubled young men legally bought their weapons before their horrific attacks, which would not have been legal here in Florida.

That is not to say that Florida is perfect, because there are loopholes we should absolutely close. But Florida is a good example that other states and the federal government should look to as an example and take up our bipartisan successes nationwide.

So I’m asking for you to join me in volunteering for our campaign, because we will not bring about meaningful change on guns unless we work together to continue this fight–for supermarket shoppers, for movie-goers, for worshipers in their houses of faith, and for our kids in schools. We must act for THEM. 

Simply being mad isn’t enough to enact change. To win, we need to talk to our neighbors, knock on their doors, and bring people along with us.

Join me.