[mpen-dayton] FW: "Remembering the Charleston Nine " & "Ban Assault Weapons Now" & "Christians tell ABC News: Tony Perkins does not speak for us"

FYI.   Best, Munsup

P.S. Please reply back to me with 'unsubscribe' on the subject line if you no longer want to receive my e-Newsletters. The convenient link to unsubscribe is no longer available due to security reasons to protect my email servers.
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·         FW: Remembering the Charleston Nine

·         (MoveOn) FW: For my friends: Ban assault weapons now

·         (DailyKos) FW: Sign the petition: Ban assault rifles

·         (MomsRising) FW: TAKE ACTION against military-style assault weapons!!

·         FW: Christians tell ABC News: Tony Perkins does not speak for us

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From: Richard Cohen; President, Southern Poverty Law Center
Subject: Remembering the Charleston Nine

I hope you'll take a moment to remember the nine people who lost their lives a year ago today in the white supremacist attack on the parishioners at "Mother Emanuel" church in Charleston.

Since that terrible day, our country has made progress in removing the symbols of hate, such as the Confederate flag.

But we've made precious little progress in addressing the substance of hate — the underlying fears and anger that divide us.

Indeed, the rhetoric surrounding the presidential campaign has inflamed those tensions.

As a country, we must push back against the rhetoric of fear and resentment – the demagoguery that puts a target on the backs of LGBT people, Muslims and others in minority groups.

As individuals, each of us must do our part.

"Hate won't win," were the brave words Alana Simmons spoke to her grandfather's killer in Charleston.

On this day, a year later, we remain as dedicated as ever to ensuring that those words are true.

Thank you for standing with us.

 

 

From: Ben O'Keefe, MoveOn.org Civic Action
Subject: Ban assault weapons now

On Sunday morning, my hometown of Orlando fell victim to a heinous act of hatred and violence. A man filled with hate and armed with an assault weapon walked into a popular LGBT club, Pulse, and killed at least 49 innocent people, wounding as many more.¹

I watched as the nation awoke and began to process the news asking "Why?" I watched as my colleagues at MoveOn sprung into action and asked, "How do we help?" But I was faced with a very different question: "Are my friends alive?"

I will never be able to explain what it feels like to hear from someone you love who you feared dead. I will also never be able to explain what it feels like when you don't.

Losing my friends and watching as a community that I love struggles with such terrible loss has been one of the hardest experiences of my life. Seeing the faces of young queer people—predominantly people of color enjoying the club's "Latin Night"—who went out to dance, sing, and celebrate in a space meant to be free of the homophobia and violence that many often faced outside of those doors, is nearly impossible to do without crying. But it also serves as a reminder of the real human toll that violence can have on our country.

There's so much work we need to do. We need to stand up against homophobia. We need to avoid falling into the trap of responding with Islamophobia. We need to make sure love wins over hate. And by all means, we need to keep mass-killing weapons out of the hands of violent individuals.

Please click here and add your name alongside more than 400,000 seeking justice for the victims of this tragedy by calling to ban assault weapons.

I will be ok. The LGBT community will be ok. Orlando will be ok. America will be ok. But only if we fight back.

The attacks that shook the nation in Sandy Hook, San Bernardino, Aurora, and Orlando all have something in common. The assailants used an assault weapon.²

And unless we do something soon they will have something else in common: Congress will have done nothing to seek justice and prevent these terrible acts from happening again.

Right now, mass-killing weapons are available for purchase online, at trade shows, and at neighborhood gun brokers across our nation. The media has begun calling assault weapons the "weapon of choice" for mass shooters.³ This has to stop.

Click here to add to the growing call to ban assault weapons like the one used in the Orlando tragedy.

As I process this terrible moment in history and in my life I'm reminded of this quote by Walter Anderson:

Bad things do happen; how I respond to them defines my character and the quality of my life. I can choose to sit in perpetual sadness, immobilized by the gravity of my loss, or I can choose to rise from the pain and treasure the most precious gift I have—life itself.

We don't have to sit immobilized in the face of hate. I choose to rise from the pain and take action. I hope that you will too.

Click here to join me and 400,000 others in saying that enough is enough; it's time to seek justice for the victims of mass shootings and ban assault weapons.

—Ben O'Keefe

Sources:

1.       "New Details Emerge About Deadliest Mass Shooting In U.S. History," The Huffington Post, June 12, 2016
http://act.moveon.org/go/4247?t=5&akid=165943.1195276._Dc9vQ

2.       "Assault weapon is common denominator in mass shootings," CBS News, December 4, 2015
http://act.moveon.org/go/4226?t=7&akid=165943.1195276._Dc9vQ

3.       "Assault rifles are becoming mass shooters' weapon of choice," The Washington Post, June 12, 2016
https://act.moveon.org/go/4277?t=9&akid=165943.1195276._Dc9vQ

Want to support our work? MoveOn member contributions have powered our work together for more than 17 years. Hundreds of thousands of people chip in each year—which is why we're able to be fiercely independent, answering to no individual, corporation, politician, or political party. You can become a monthly donor by clicking here, or chip in a one-time gift here.

Contributions to MoveOn.org Civic Action are not tax deductible as charitable contributions for federal income tax purposes.

 

From: CREDO via Daily Kos
Subject: Sign the petition, Munsup: Ban assault rifles

As the death toll from the tragedy in Orlando continued to mount, Republican politicians were quick to offer their prayers and condolences to the families and friends of the victims.

Coming from politicians who not only refuse to act to reduce gun violence, but who also foster and promote anti-LGBT bigotry and hate through their words, their party platform and their legislative actions, those "thoughts and prayers" don't mean much.

Breaking the NRA's chokehold on Congress will require massive grassroots pressure on our elected officials, demanding they deliver more than thoughts and prayers in the face of our epidemic of gun violence.

Sign the petition from CREDO and Daily Kos telling Republicans in Congress: "Thoughts and prayers" are not enough. We need real gun control.

When Republicans disagree with advances in women's rights, LGBT rights, or civil rights, they don't just offer their thoughts and prayers, they push legislation. In just the last year, Republicans in Congress and in state legislatures across the country have worked to make abortion impossible to access, to discriminate against LGBT people, and to take away voting rights. At the same time, they have aggressively pushed the NRA's agenda to weaken gun laws, from campus carry to permitless carry to stand your ground.

In 2014 alone, the gun lobby spent over $30 million on political advertising and lobbying to influence legislators in Congress and state capitals across the country. If Republicans really want to protect Americans, they need to break their blind allegiance to the NRA and pass gun control legislation.

If all Republicans can offer after this weekend's massacre are their thoughts and prayers, or misguided scapegoating of Muslim communities that plays into their base's racism and xenophobia, that speaks volumes. It shows that current Republican leaders in Congress lack the care, or courage, to act.

Tell Republicans in Congress: "Thoughts and prayers" are not enough. We need real gun control.

Keep fighting, Monique Teal, Daily Kos

Paid for by CREDO

 

 

From: Sili and Gloria, Elyssa, Kristin, Donna, and the entire MomsRising community
Subject: TAKE ACTION against military-style assault weapons!!

I'm filled with anger and anguish. This is a historic moment I never hoped to see: 49 people dead and over 50 injured in the deadliest mass shooting in U.S. history. [1] And it happened in my hometown of Orlando!

The U.S. Congress has failed our community and our children by standing by without taking action as family after family falls victim to gun violence.

Enough is enough!!!

**Take action now and stand up for the victims of the Orlando shooting by calling on Congress to ban military-style assault weapons and high-capacity ammunition!!

What can we do? We can speak out! One military-style assault rifle with a high-capacity magazine (an AR-15) was used to mow down 49 beautiful lives Sunday morning because of their sexual orientation and the freedom they represent. This type of violence must be stopped! This same type of military-style assault weapon was also used in Newtown, Aurora, San Bernardino, and the Umpqua Community College. [2] This is the weapon of choice of mass murderers and has no business being for sale in America! Right now, there is legislation ready to be passed in Congress that already has 125 co-sponsors that would get military-style weapons and high-capacity ammunition off our streets. [3] No matter what the Orlando shooter's affiliations, hatreds, mental health, or background was, his access to a weapon that was designed to kill large numbers of people quickly was why 49 people were slaughtered. We must stop this from ever happening again!

We need you to speak out and tell your members of Congress: "Protect our families and our communities. Ban the sale of military-style assault weapons and high-capacity ammunition!"

I just drove past the Pulse nightclub in Orlando where the shooting occurred last week on my way to meet a friend for dinner. This is a place where the LGBTQ+ community finds acceptance and refuge. There is no question that this was a hate crime and an act of terrorism. During Pride Month, the Orlando LGBTQ+ community was targeted and gravely harmed when they were just trying to celebrate their freedom and joy, dancing and hanging out with friends. This isn't the country I want to raise my daughter in and I know so many of you feel the same way.

Change must occur and it must occur now before another community needs to suffer the grief of gun violence.

**Stand up for the victims of gun violence in Orlando and everywhere and tell Congress to take action NOW! 

It's ok to cry. It's ok to feel scared. And it's ok to be angry. But join me in turning those feelings into action by reaching out to our elected leaders today and telling them no more military-style assault weapon with high-capacity magazine sales in the U.S.!

We are battling against the powerful NRA and are going to need as many voices as possible to let Congress know that we will not accept this type of tragedy anymore! Not a single mother or father should have to hear that their child was killed in a mass shooting. After you take action please post our action link to Facebook and Twitter and encourage your friends and family to take action (you can also forward them this email!). We will only end gun violence if we stand up together.

Tonight I will hug my daughter a little tighter and make sure my loved ones know how much I care for them. Tomorrow I will join people from around the country in standing up against gun violence!

We can stop these tragedies by raising our voices together!

[1] Hasani Gittens and Helen Kwong. "Florida Nightclub Massacre Is Deadliest Mass Shooting in U.S. History." NBC News, June 12, 2016.
[2] Dareh Gregorian. "NRA's fight to stop assault weapons ban enables killers behind shootings in Orlando nightclub, Newtown, and San Bernardino to use AR-15 rifle. NY Daily News, June 13, 2016.
[3] "H.R. 4269-Assault Weapons Ban of 2015."

 

 

From: Michael Sherrard, Faithful America
Subject: Christians tell ABC News: Tony Perkins does not speak for us

So far over 17,000 of us are joining in calling on ABC to cancel Tony Perkins' appearance tomorrow - can you add your name and help reach our goal of 20,000?

In the aftermath the horrific massacre in Orlando, ABC News is turning to an anti-gay hate group leader to speak for Christians.

On Sunday, This Week with George Stephanopoulos is scheduled to feature Tony Perkins of the Family Research Council. Perkins has repeatedly accused gay men of molesting children, causing the Southern Poverty Law Center to formally designate FRC as a hate group.

Other media outlets have increasingly stopped offering a platform for Perkins' vitriol after hearing from thousands of us who are outraged by his claim to speak for everyday Christians.

But so far ABC News is promoting Perkins' Sunday appearance without mentioning that he's a hate-group leader, and they haven't scheduled another Christian leader to offer a different perspective.

Tell ABC News: Cancel Tony Perkins. He doesn't speak for Christians.

 

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