John,
I am angry and saddened to hear of the shooting at Destiny of Faith Church in Brighton Heights today.
My heart goes out to the six injured victims and the trauma faced by them and other members of our community who were already facing grief attending a funeral service of another victim of gun violence this month when the shooting occurred.
I am sick and tired of the complicity of US politicians and the corporate gun lobby who forfeit our lives for their power and profit — who've decided the lives of children in schools, Black shoppers in a grocery store, and parishioners in a church or synagogue are worth less than a campaign contribution. We must call out any politician who refuses to take common-sense action to protect Americans from unnecessary gun violence, and relieve them of their positions.
This isn't normal, and there are solutions.
Tomorrow, I’ve asked Congresswoman Madeleine Dean (PA-4) to join me in a roundtable discussion with Pittsburgh families impacted by gun violence. We will discuss gun violence prevention legislation Congress passed this year and additional measures that can be taken to reduce gun violence in our communities.
But also, we will discuss how to tackle the root causes of everyday gun violence in our communities, which so often is handgun violence. In communities like ours, gun violence is a result of a cyclical divestment. It’s rooted in poverty, rooted in communities that have gone underfunded and ignored for too long. Communities that don’t get the same health care, education, and job opportunities that others do — and that’s unacceptable.
We don't need any more leaders who refuse to take action to save lives.
The future is in our hands, and we must work together to do everything we can to protect our country, our community, and our families from this violence that politicians have let become all too normal.
Summer Lee
