Everything You Need To Contact Congress About Gun Control

If we all did a little something, we could instigate BIG change.

I’m writing this two weeks after a white supremacist killed 10 people in a grocery store and less than a week after 19 children and 2 adults were murdered in a school shooting in Texas.

Do you know what happened this week at the daycare my kids go to? My 3- and 1-year-old were taught what to do in their classrooms in an active shooter situation. Their daycare softened the blow by calling it an “active intruder” drill instead. I got that email and wept. 
 
I have babies. They don’t even know how to communicate yet. But they know that they need to follow their teacher into the closet if a bad guy with a gun makes his way into their building. This is unacceptable and I have now made it my mission to actually do something—anything—about it.
 
I have zero political agenda in this. This has to be the most bipartisan issue in our country. I can’t believe it’s even a reality that civilians might fight for their right to own weapons meant for war. My agenda is that I would like children to make it to their high school graduation and people of color to be able to attend church and go to the grocery store safely. We can’t prevent all death but this one seems like a no brainer.
 

I feel sad, hopeless, and frustrated. I’ve donated to Everytown (and so should you). So what else is left? What is the small step to take?

We contact Congress, relentlessly. We don’t just do it this week, we do it next month too. And the month after that. There are so many people who have provided great resources, so this post will the place I compile them.

The most important Senators to contact

If you live in any of the following places, your calls, emails and letters will go the furthest:

Senator Cornyn – Texas – 202.224.2934
Senator Toomey – Pennsylvania – 202.224.4254
Senator Collins – Maine – 202.224.2523
Senator Portman – Ohio – 202.224.3353
Senator Murkowski – Alaska – 202.224.6665
Senator Romney – Utah – 202.224.5251
Senator Capito – West Virginia – 202.224.6472
Senator Burr – North Carolina – 202.224.3154
Senator Tillis – North Carolina – 202.224.6342
Senator Rubio – Florida – 202.224.3041
Senator Graham – South Carolina – 202.224.5972
Senator Cassidy – Lousiana – 202.224.5824
Senator Blunt – Missouri – 202.224.5721
 
(I got the list above from Jessica Yellin.)
 

What to say when you call or email

This is an incredible and easy script to use from Jamie B. Golden if you call:
“Hello, my name is ______. I’m a constituent from ________, zip code _____. I don’t need a response. I am concerned about the lack of a senate vote on The Bipartisan Background Checks Act of 2021, H.R. 8 and the Enhanced Background Checks Act of 2021, H.R. 1446. I strongly encourage Senator _______ to please support a vote and the passage of these two acts. Thank you for your hard work.”

This is a great template to use if you email or write from Jen Hatmaker:
“Good morning. My name is _____ and I live at _____. I have a deep love for my community and neighbors. I urge Senator/Rep _____, as an elected official who represents me, to protect our safety by leading the way toward gun violence prevention. Specifically, I am asking Senator/Rep _____ to advocate for the The Bipartisan Background Checks Act of 2021 (H.R. 8) and the Enhanced Background Checks Act of 2021 (H.R. 1446). I will be casting my next vote based on his or her legislative response to the gun violence epidemic in America. Thank you for your time.”
 
If I lived in Pennsylvania still, I would alternate calling, emailing, and sending letters to Pat Toomey.
 
 
If I mailed a letter, I would use the script above and then print out poems and cartoons like these, for impact:
– Back To School Shopping by Kate Baer
America is a Gun by Brian Bilston
This tweet from Senator Taddeo

This statistic about mental health in Texas
This cover of the New York Times

Why would I mail things like that? Honestly, I don’t know. I just think if there is any other medium to get through to people in power, I’m gonna try to use it. The power of words or statistics or humor do different things for different people and why not at least try?

 
People to follow who will remind you to keep doing this work
 
Here are people who are going to keep talking about this, providing updated information and encouragement for all of us:
The Demand Action App – this is an app you can use that will prompt you and tell you exactly how you can take action.

If all your Congresspeople are Democrats …

All of my Congresspeople are Democrats who would absolutely support a bill for more gun control. I’ve contacted them all once, but I won’t again because that is a futile effort and distracts them from the work they are trying to do. Instead, I’m reaching out to my friends who live in places where this matters (specifically, Pennsylvania).
 
If you live in a place like me, send this post to someone who doesn’t. To someone who has a Senator or Representative who is undecided or anti gun reform. It will take you 10 seconds.
 
Also, I’m planning on posting and talking about this regularly. I’m planning on reminding people that even though they feel like there isn’t much to do, we can keep contacting elected officials who can actually make the decisions to change it. 
 
I wish I had more answers and more hope, but I’ve given you every ounce I have today. I’ll keep coming back to this to update it. Thanks for reading, thanks for caring. But please do something. Anything.

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