Dear Friend,
Today the funerals will begin in Newtown, CT. As a nation, we
continue to mourn this unbelievable loss of twenty children and six
brave teachers. If you did not see President Obama's powerful speech to
the families in Newtown go here to watch it.
We echo the President's words when he said, "I am very mindful
that mere words cannot match the depths of your sorrow, nor can they
heal your wounded hearts. I can only hope it helps for you to know that
you're not alone in your grief, that our world too has been torn apart,
that all across this land of ours, we have wept with you, we've pulled
our children tight."
We agree when he said, "We can't tolerate this anymore. These
tragedies must end. And to end them, we must change. We will be told
that the causes of such violence are complex, and that is true. No
single law - no set of laws can eliminate evil from the world, or
prevent every senseless act of violence in our society. But that can't
be an excuse for inaction. Surely, we can do better than this."
And we are buoyed when he said, "In the coming weeks, I will use
whatever power this office holds to engage my fellow citizens -- from
law enforcement to mental health professionals to parents and educators
-- in an effort aimed at preventing more tragedies like this. Because
what choice do we have? We can't accept events like this as routine. Are
we really prepared to say that we're powerless in the face of such
carnage, that the politics are too hard? Are we prepared to say that
such violence visited on our children year after year after year is
somehow the price of our freedom?"
And while words bring comfort and begin the healing process, they are not enough. We need action.
Please, take a moment and call The White House at 202-456-1414 or 202-456-1111.
Tell the operator or leave a comment. Talk about the event, the President's reaction and how we need an action plan now.
Forward this email to friends and family. Encourage others to be involved.
Your actions combined with the actions of other concerned citizens
will make a difference! Let's raise our voices and not stop until
change happens! Thank you!
Barbara Hohlt, Board Chair
