Sometimes you have to do something out of the ordinary. Sometimes you have to make a way out of no way. We have been too quiet for too long. There comes a time when you have to say something, when you have to make a little noise, when you have to move your feet. This is the time. Now is the time to get in the way. The time to act is now. We will be silent no more. – My hero, John Lewis. This courageous, dedicated, lifelong public servant is leading a sit-in for gun control right now on the floor of the United States House of Representatives, just as he did for civil rights in the 1960s.
The time is ALWAYS right to do what is right. And that time is now.
We need more good trouble, for more people to get in the way, for more voices to speak up and out, for more noise against injustice and inaction. Gun violence is a deadly reality that necessitates action TODAY – for victims of every age, place and background, for families mourning the loss of loved ones, for others who will soon experience that same horror, for our country that is plagued by tragedy, terror and hate. How many more must die? Dozens have already died or been injured by gun violence in the short hours since this sit-in began.
Now is not the time for silence. And Speaker Paul Ryan turning off the cameras on the House floor has NOT prevented news from getting out. Congresspeople are using Snapchat, Facebook Live, Periscope, and live Tweets to share what is happening as they #HoldTheFloor, content which is now being covered by C-SPAN. Digital tools are those of, by, and for the people that clearly further democracy.
#NoBillNoBreak! We, the American people, deserve action NOW. Call your elected officials and tell them where you stand on gun control. Look at candidates' donations from the NRA. When YOU vote in November, remember how your Senators voted on the recent pieces of #DisarmHate legislation to stop the transfer of firearms to suspected terrorists, like those on no fly lists, and expand background checks to all gun sales.
"We have a mission, a mandate, and a moral obligation to speak up and speak out until the House votes to address gun violence," as @RepJohnLewis just tweeted.
I am hopeful. I am optimistic. I believe that change CAN come, but only through concrete action, pressure, and accountability. Join us in saying #ENOUGH is enough is enough.
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