One Year After Newtown, ARS Releases New Ad "Silent Night" and Statement from Capt. Kelly

One year after the devastating shooting in Newtown, CT, in which 20 six year olds and six adults were murdered, Americans for Responsible Solutions released an ad that asks, “How long do we have to wait for Congress to act?” The video, titled “Silent Night,” can be viewed at http://www.youtube.com/responsiblesolutions.

ARS co-founder Capt. Mark Kelly, a retired astronaut and combat veteran, also released the following statement:

 “A year ago, the lives of 26 families changed forever. On a cold December morning, shortly before Christmas, 20 children and six of their educators were brutally gunned down at Sandy Hook Elementary School. As the devastating news came out of Newtown that day, we heard stories of great courage and heroism, but mostly, there was just heartbreak. For many of us, we came home on December 14, and hugged our children, praying that they would never be the victims of such violence. 

 After Newtown, my wife Gabby and I said “Enough.” We could not standby and wait for the next mass shooting to ravage a community—like it had in Newtown, Aurora, Tucson and so many other places. 

 The nation was still mourning the lives lost at Sandy Hook when we founded our organization, Americans for Responsible Solutions, to help find balance in a conversation that has long been dominated by extremes. Our goal was simple—we would bring people together and work for common sense solutions that would keep our communities safer and protect our constitutional rights. 

 In the weeks after Newtown, we heard politician after politician give eloquent speeches—promising that they would keep our communities safe. They promised that they would honor the dead in Newtown. 

 Congress held hearings and the atmosphere seemed ripe for action. Two Senators from both sides of the aisle came together and proposed a pragmatic bill that would require background checks on more gun purchases. The Senate came very close to passing it—but in the end, they failed to approve a solution that 90% of Americans support. 

 The Senate, it seemed, was in the grip of the gun lobby. Gabby and I were disappointed, but we were not defeated. 

 In the year since Newtown, Gabby and I have traveled across the country, meeting with people in small towns, big cities and everywhere in between. We’ve talked with veterans, doctors, teachers, hunters, NRA members and more. These conversations inspire us every day, because we know that the majority of Americans support responsible gun laws. The dysfunction of Washington has not diluted the common sense of America. 

 For the families of the 26 people who died in Newtown, the heartache will never go away. 

 But America deserves better than rhetoric and broken promises. We deserve common sense, the responsible exercise of our rights and safe communities. We deserve elected leaders who will stand up to special interests and extremists. 

 The fight is not over. And America will not forget Sandy Hook.”