From the Friends Committee on National Legislation (http://www.fcnl.org):
There are some sad realities in this world. The presence of violence, and in the case of Orlando, hateful violence directed at the Latino LGBTQ community, is one of those sad realities our society faces.
Yet this is a reality we are called to change. Events like the tragedy in Orlando should galvanize all of us to action. We can’t turn away because the politics are hard or disengage because we don’t like the campaign rhetoric.
What will move Congress to act? Not more statistics. You.
Act Today
The Senate will vote in the coming days on expanding background checks for people buying guns at gun shows and online. This vote is happening because Sen. Chris Murphy, supported by 35 of his Senate colleagues, spent almost 15 hours speaking on the Senate floor yesterday filibustering until Senate leadership agreed to a vote.
Call your senators today – right now – at 877-429-0678. Ask them to vote “yes” to expand background checks on gun purchases.
Background checks won’t eliminate gun violence, but it would be a step. After so long without congressional movement on curbing gun violence in the U.S., it would be a big one.
Act This Week
Your calls today matter. It will also take sustained action – showing Congress over and over again that this is a priority for you – to keep the momentum going for change. We’ve seen the pattern before: a tragedy like the Orlando shooting captures headlines and attention for a few days or weeks, and then things return to business as usual – until the next preventable tragedy.
That’s why, after you make your call, I hope you’ll send an email to your senators and representative. Tell them that background checks would be a good start, but it’s not enough. Tell them it’s time they take action against military-style assault weapons at http://www.capwiz.com/fconl/issues/alert/?alertid=72901626&type=CO.
Similar types of military-style assault weapons were used in Orlando, Newtown, Aurora, San Bernardino, and the Umpqua Community College.
Tell Congress to reinstate the assault weapons ban.
Act This Year
This isn’t just about one killing, or even a series of mass killings. Gun violence permeates our society. The current stats are already alarming:
- 1,500 shootings in Chicago so far this year.
- On average, 51 women in the U.S. are shot and killed by an intimate partner each month.
- 20,000 gun suicides in the U.S. every year.
This summer, candidates for public office – people who want to represent you and your views – are campaigning and holding events.
Bring your concerns for preventing gun violence to campaign events.
People running for office in this country need to hear that it’s time for Congress to prioritize preventing gun violence.
See FCNL’s resources on asking candidate questions, find out about races in your area and how to contact candidates, and see tips for being heard at in-person candidate events.
This is a time of great grief for our country. Yet we can also translate this moment into a moment of action. But it’s going to take all of us speaking up and showing up.
Please act today and throughout the summer and fall so this tragic history doesn’t keep repeating itself.
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