Today, as we remember the 26 people killed in the massacre at Sandy Hook Elementary School 10 years ago, most of them young children, let’s also remember the outrage we felt that day, when the horrible realization hit us that not even elementary schools are safe from America’s epidemic of gun violence. And let’s remember what so many of us said to ourselves, and to our families: ‘We can’t let this continue.’
In the aftermath of the massacre, I met with family members of those killed, and I took to heart what they told me: the best way to honor their loved ones is to turn anguish into action and help spare other families from suffering the same unimaginable grief. Over the past decade, nearly 10 million Americans have joined Everytown for Gun Safety and Moms Demand Action and have successfully advocated for lifesaving policies at every level of government, including the first major gun law to pass Congress in a generation. And yet the progress we’ve made is still far short of what’s needed.
Ten years after the death of 26 young children and educators, it is still far too easy for people who pose a danger to themselves or others to buy guns, as it is for those with criminal records – and every day, we see the tragic results. We will continue pushing to close the loopholes in our gun laws, and we won’t stop until all Americans are safe in schools and other public places. We owe that to the Sandy Hook survivors, and to the millions of other Americans whose homes and communities have been shattered by senseless gun violence. I hope you’ll join us.