“90 percent of Democrats in the Senate just voted for that idea. But it’s not going to happen because 90 percent of Republicans in the Senate just voted against that idea.”
Yesterday, we saw the true power of special interests in our political system. It was not only disgraceful but, to a greater degree, very discouraging.
Although 90% of Americans support expanded background checks
for all gun purchases, the bipartisan measure failed at reaching the 60 votes
needed to pass in the United States Senate.
With 50 Democrats and only FOUR Republicans voting in favor
of this bipartisan, common sense proposal – drafted by two Senators who both
have “A” ratings from the NRA –the bill failed to pass because the power of
special interests outweighed the power of millions of American voices.
As the President mentioned in his statement yesterday,
“no single piece of legislation can stop every act of violence and evil...but
if action by Congress could have saved one person, one child, a few hundred, a
few thousand -- if it could have prevented those people from losing their lives
to gun violence in the future while preserving our Second Amendment rights, we
had an obligation to try.”
For that reason, despite how discouraging the process may
seem, I’m not giving up. In fact, I’m even more inspired and motivated to stay
active.
Stay active for all the innocent victims of gun violence.
Stay active for the victims of Tucson, and Aurora,
and Sandy Hook.
Stay active for my parents.
Because the alternative of doing nothing –of sitting on the
sidelines and remaining silent—is far, far worse.
“We will not be defeated. We are not defeated, and we
will not be defeated. We are here now; we will always be here because we
have no other choice. We are not going away. And every day, as more
people are killed in this country because of gun violence, our determination
grows stronger."
Right now, volunteers across the country are joining Organizing for Action (OFA) to contact their members of Congress and make their voices heard. We're going to show the special interests that we will not be silenced, and that the victims of these heinous crimes will be honored. Will you help?
