I brought your voice to Congress on Monday

The Senate will vote TODAY as early as 4:00 p.m. EST on gun violence measures—bans on assault weapons and high-capacity magazines, and background checks for all gun sales. I delivered our signatures Monday, but we all need to call our senators right away before they vote. Watch This Video & Call

Dear MoveOn member,

Six years ago, my daughter Emily was in French class at Virginia Tech when a gunman opened fire, ultimately killing 32 students and staff members. Emily was shot twice in the back of the head but survived.

The next day I committed myself to advocating for new laws in Virginia and at the national level to prevent gun violence. That's why, hours after the tragedy in Newtown, I hosted a candlelight vigil and asked MoveOn members to do the same. More than 300 of you responded as hosts, and less than 24 hours after the tragedy, thousands of MoveOn members and allies lit up the night to mourn the victims and call for change.

I also started a petition that day, asking the president, the House, and the Senate to work to pass meaningful gun violence prevention measures ASAP. Since then, more than 1.3 million MoveOn members signed my petition and others like it calling for background checks on all gun sales, and bans on military-style semi-automatic weapons and high-capacity magazines.

This week, on Monday, April 15—four months after Newtown and 2,192 days after I nearly lost Emily—I delivered more than 1.3 million signatures to six of the Democratic senators who haven't gotten on board with these common-sense policies: Mary Landrieu (LA), Mark Begich (AK), Mark Pryor (AR), Kay Hagan (NC), Max Baucus (MT), and my very own Virginia Senator Mark Warner.¹ 

Today, the Senate will vote on all of these polices. Every senator's phone needs to ring off the hook with calls from all of us telling them to vote to prevent gun violence. Will you join me and make a call right now?

Click here to watch the video of me delivering more than 1.3 million MoveOn member signatures and to call your senator.

I've been fighting for this opportunity to win real reform for six years. But I'm not just going to sit back and watch any senators vote against gun violence prevention without their hearing my voice and the voices of all the victims, families, and allies calling for reform.

Today's votes to prevent gun violence will save lives and help prevent tragedies like the one that visited my family six years ago. 

Watch this video and call on your senator to urge a "yes" vote today on key gun violence prevention measures.

Thank you.

Lori Haas
Mother of a Virginia Tech survivor
MoveOn member
Organizer with the Coalition to Stop Gun Violence

Sources:

1. "Senators draw line at private gun sales; compromise to test ideals," The Washington Times, April 15, 2013
http://www.moveon.org/r?r=289097&id=66036-10220574-7PzzYzx&t=7

"As debate begins, Senate background check proposal for gun sales lacks necessary votes," The Washington Post, April 15, 2013 
http://www.moveon.org/r?r=289098&id=66036-10220574-7PzzYzx&t=8

"On anniversary of Va. Tech shooting, bipartisan gun-control compromise reaches Senate," Richmond Times-Dispatch, April 16, 2013
http://www.moveon.org/r?r=289099&id=66036-10220574-7PzzYzx&t=9

"Virginia Tech Massacre 6 Years Later," FOX 5 News WTTG, April 16, 2013
http://www.moveon.org/r?r=289100&id=66036-10220574-7PzzYzx&t=10

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