Every act of gun violence leaves a devastated community of family, friends and colleagues in its wake. We are reeling from Buffalo, Uvalde, Tulsa and the more than a dozen mass shootings in between. And we refuse to accept that this has to be our way of life.

For too long, some senators have refused even to permit a vote on gun safety issues. That’s why parents, students, teachers, nurses, working people and community members are coming together to show our lawmakers that we can’t and won’t take it anymore. It’s time they take action to save lives now. Click here to find an event in your area.

No events in your area?  Click here to write a letter to your lawmakers and demand they take action.

Enough is enough. As Frederick Douglass said, power concedes nothing without a demand. Right now, we must make that demand. We must demand that our lawmakers stop bending to the NRA and gun manufacturers and instead yield to the needs and desires of the overwhelming number of Americans who want to save lives by enacting commonsense gun safety and violence prevention reforms. Republicans, Democrats and Independents have been calling for commonsense gun violence policies to make it harder for people who would do harm to get their hands on a deadly weapon.

Students deserve safe and welcoming schools, and parents need to know their children are safe. Educators deserve to be able to teach; they should not be forced to be human shields to protect their students. Community members deserve to know their schools, stores and places of worship are safe, and they should not be scared to live their values. This is a public health crisis.

Commonsense gun safety legislation is necessary. That’s why we all must call on the Senate to come together and pass the popular gun safety measures that will save children’s lives, educators’ lives, and the lives of our family, friends and neighbors.

Click here to find an event in your area, and click here to write to your lawmakers to demand meaningful changes to end gun violence.

In unity,

Randi Weingarten

AFT President

P.S. This weekend is Wear Orange weekend, to remember those we’ve lost to gun violence. Please wear orange this weekend and post photos to social media with the hashtags #WearOrange and #EndGunViolence.