John,

Last night, students at Michigan State University faced the horror of a mass shooting on their campus, with multiple students killed and in critical condition, and more enduring trauma and heartache. Many hid for hours, and some jumped out of windows to escape their classrooms, supporting each other to escape.

Some of these students have now experienced multiple mass shootings, including current MSU students who attended Oxford High School in Michigan (with a mass shooting two years ago) and Sandy Hook Elementary School in Connecticut (ten years ago).

Today also marks five years since the devastating mass shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida.

I am furious that this cycle of violence continues to tear families apart and traumatize our communities. We must honor their lives with action—with comprehensive gun reform, now.

But for too long, my colleagues in Congress have ignored this crisis and given excuses for inaction. Earlier this month, during National Gun Violence Survivors Week, many GOP Congressmembers wore pins featuring assault weapons while on the House floor. This is sick.

Please sign the petition if you agree: We must implement universal background checks, pass red flag laws, and ban assault weapons across the country.

The Sandy Hook alum who is now an MSU student said in a TikTok video: “We can no longer just provide love and prayers. It needs to be legislation, it needs to be action. … We can no longer allow this to happen. We can no longer be complacent.”

In less than two months, there have already been 67 mass shootings in 2023. That’s more mass shootings at this point in the year than any previous year since 2013. For the first time, firearms became the leading cause of death among children.

This crisis is unique to the U.S. We know this is not how it has to be. We do not have to live like this. Illinois just banned assault weapons. We can and must pass national gun reform to keep our communities safe.

As March For Our Lives reminded us today: “Grieve for the dead. Fight like hell for the living.”

I will continue to fight like hell to enact comprehensive gun reform at the federal level. We deserve policy change. We deserve safety and healing.

Please add your name to show your support for national gun reform, including universal background checks, red flag laws, and a ban on assault weapons.

In love and solidarity,

Rashida

P.S. If you are a survivor of gun violence or in an affected community, here’s a resource and toolkit from former Congresswoman Gabby Giffords. I’m holding you close to my heart.