In the 336 days of 2015, there have already been 355 mass shootings in the United States.  We can grieve, we can ask ‘who did this and why’, and then watch media devolve into stigmatizing and stereotyping, we can read and post horrified. and horrifying. messages on social media.  However, most sane people know that, in order to stop the violence, the United States needs sane gun laws and needs to stand up against the National Rifle Association (NRA).

As U.S. law makers took to twitter with platitudes after the most recent shooting in San Bernadino, Igor Volsky, a contributing editor and director of video at ThinkProgress, used his Twitter feed to publicize the names of lawmakers who had received money from the NRA.  According to Volsky, the NRA spent almost US$31 million in independent expenditures during the last election. That is a lot of money to combat but too many people have died, and people are standing up and need your support to make politicians listen to reason

1)  Did you know that since 1996, despite the horrifying number of cases of gun violence, the U.S. Congress has banned federal gun violence research.  Enough pandering to the gun lobby,  demand that the U.S. Congress fund and re-authorize research into gun violence.

2) Moms are rising up and that is a powerful force.  The MomsRising network has more than a million members strong and growing.  They are demanding gun safety and community safety policies.  Sign the petition now.

And finally let’s not think that the fight abroad does not impact us, read this petition to Trudeau by gun advocates demanding more ‘unfettered’ access to guns, unencumbered by government scrutiny and registries.  Over 30,000 people have signed this petition.  Let’s stand up for sane gun laws here in Canada and in our neighbour to the south.