Friend,

When news of another shooting breaks, it can be easy to feel numb in the face of yet another tragedy.

But we cannot allow ourselves to turn away from the destruction caused by gun violence in this country. We cannot accept political violence as a normal part of our democracy. We must take action.

In 1981, a gunman pushed through a crowd of reporters in Washington, D.C., aimed at President Ronald Reagan, and fired six shots in less than two seconds. Jim Brady, the president's press secretary, was shot point-blank in the head. Miraculously, he survived. After recovering, Jim dedicated the rest of his life to fighting for gun violence reform. This story of survival turned into advocacy isn’t unique to Jim — it’s the same path that brought me and so many others to Brady.

When my mom was shot and killed opening the door to our home, I searched for a way to turn my grief into action. Eventually, I found Brady. Jim’s legacy of commitment to this movement permeates our work still. And we continue to be an organization led by and for survivors of gun violence.

Brady has fought to end political violence — and all forms of gun violence. And today, we are reminded once again of the importance of our fight.

Political violence should not be a normal occurrence in our country, yet it has become all too common while lawmakers refuse to take action to address easy access to weapons of war and other deadly loopholes in our gun laws.

And until we finally see an end to the violence, we cannot afford to slow down or take a break from this life-saving work. Take action now and send a message to lawmakers to let them know that their inaction to address political violence, and gun violence in general, must end today. It's time for them to break the silence. →

Although there is much we still don't know about today's events, we do know that today tells us that this fight is far from over.

After more than 40 years, we’re still up against the NRA’s reign of terror, and we will continue to face an uphill battle for change.

But tragedies like today's remind us that even though the challenges ahead are numerous, our action toward ending the gun violence epidemic is still worth it.

Because today was not inevitable. Today's violence was needless and preventable — and we must continue to do what we can to prevent more violence tomorrow.

We must demand that our leaders stand up against political violence and take action to end our nation’s gun violence epidemic NOW.

Today of all days, thank you for stepping up.

Liz Dunning

Gun Violence Survivor

Chief Development & Engagement Officer