John,

This is heinous, even by Texas standards: Instead of passing any kind of sensible gun violence prevention legislation, Texas lawmakers passed a law to send DNA kits home to parents so that they can identify their child after ‘an emergency’ – like a mass shooting. 

Meanwhile, weapons of war remain on our street. And shooters continue to choose assault weapons because they’re designed to kill as many people as possible, as quickly as possible. The rifles leave their victims’ bodies decimated beyond recognition, but instead of banning them, Texas lawmakers just want to make it easier for parents to identify their kids after they’re shot.

Lawmakers passed this law in 2021, after a gunman killed eight children and two teachers in Santa Fe, TX. Then, one year later, a gunman killed 19 children and two children at Uvalde Elementary School. This is a callous, disrespectful move toward the survivors of these tragedies and all other gun violence survivors. Texas lawmakers have made it absolutely clear: They care about guns more than people. 

John, I’m a mother and a gun violence survivor. Every day that I send my kids to school, I think about their safety and hope that their school will not be the next. I know that parents in the US think the same thing every day, but it’s our terrible reality. And then, to send these tests home as a heinous reminder of the constant threat of violence disgusting, but offensive. We need to do something real to protect our children, to protect all of us, and that means addressing our gun violence epidemic with common sense, lifesaving legislation. 

We don’t need more ways to identify bodies after a mass shooting, we need to ban the weapons of war that tear them apart. Will you sign our urgent petition to demand that our Senators ban assault weapons and actually do something to fight gun violence? 

We cannot wait any longer to save lives, thank you for taking action that really matters.

Liz Dunning

Gun Violence Survivor

Vice President, Development