Former Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords and Captain Mark Kelly Marking Five Years Since the Tragedy at Sandy Hook Elementary School
December 13, 2017—Former Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords and Captain Mark Kelly, co-founders of Giffords , issued the following statement to recognize the fifth anniversary of the tragedy at Sandy Hook Elementary School, which takes place tomorrow, Thursday, December 14:
“We’ll never forget the way we felt five years ago, on December 14, 2012, when we heard the devastating news from Newtown, Connecticut. Even though we talk about it regularly, it’s still difficult to comprehend that 26 people went to school that day and never came home. The families in Newtown wake up every day in this reality, and so do the families of thousands of Americans every year who are forced into the same nightmare: one where a seat sits empty at the table and the life of a loved one remains frozen in time.
“In response to the shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School, a national movement erupted from neighborhoods across America. Parents, teachers, lawyers, doctors, law enforcement officers, and veterans turned their shock into action. They’d had enough. And so had we. We expected the same outrage and action from Congress. Instead, we were met with inaction and five years of excuses.
“Incredibly, even in the aftermath of two of our nation’s worst mass shootings and as the country has coalesced around an agenda to save lives and improve public safety, Congress has actually tried to weaken our gun laws. Last week, the US House of Representatives passed a bill that would make many of our communities less safe by allowing untrained, dangerous individuals to carry loaded, concealed guns in every city, in every state. The People’s House turned its back on the very people they are supposed to represent and delivered on the gun lobby’s number one political priority.
“This action was an affront to the memories of families everywhere who have lost their families to gun violence and a violation of trust voters place in their elected officials to keep them safe.
“America’s families deserve leaders who will represent the will of the people, who won’t crumble under pressure from the gun lobby. They deserve leaders who have the courage to fight for safer communities. Those courageous leaders are out there. We’ve worked with them in city halls and state capitals across the country. Together, we’ve helped improve or protect the public safety of millions, passing more than 200 laws in the states and preventing unknowable tragedy.
“We stood up five years ago to say we’d had enough, and we’re still standing today—stronger and more committed than we’ve ever been. Our children shouldn’t be afraid to go to school. No American should be afraid to pray at church, attend a concert, or walk the streets of their neighborhood. We all deserve better. More importantly, our children and grandchildren deserve better and addressing the issue of gun violence must be our legacy.
“We’ll never forget the day we went to Newtown to meet the families of those beautiful children and committed educators. We are proud to work with brave advocates like Mark Barden, Nicole Hockley, and Bill Sherlach. We honor the memory of their children with action.
“We fight for them and we won’t give up until we have a Congress with the courage to fight for us.”
