Arm in Arm was founded six years ago after anti-Semitic and anti-Islamic graffiti were found in Harvard. With a mission to promote and uphold a safe, inclusive social climate that values diversity and fosters respect for one another, we believed that through awareness and education we could have meaningful conversations to foster greater understanding of our diverse backgrounds. We have made some progress. However, in just the last three weeks, the nation has witnessed atrocities with racist hate crimes, killing 10 African Americans in New York and one in a Taiwanese church in California. And most recently, the latest shooting in an elementary school, whether racially motivated or not, taking away the lives of 19 children and two adults. This just has to stop.
We are not immune to what is happening around us, and Arm in Arm believes we can no longer just focus on awareness and education, but we have to take a stand. It is time to tell our leaders that we need the common-sense gun laws that have been proposed time and time again but have never passed. In all recent studies we have found that the majority of Americans support gun laws to limit large-capacity magazines, expand background checks and licensing, increase the age of the gun purchaser, and increase mental health resources.
We need to speak up now and take the advice of Steve Kerr, Golden State Warriors coach, who said: “When are we going do something? I’m so tired of getting up here and offering condolences to the devastated families that are out there, I’m tired of the moments of silence. Enough.” He continued: “We are being held hostage by 50 senators in Washington who refuse to even put it to a vote, despite what we the American people want.”
As Arm in Arm, we say this just has to stop. We ask everyone to take a stand, to take action. Let your elected officials know you won’t take inaction anymore. Speak out and be heard for the sake of those who have lost their lives. We owe this to our children.
Contact your U.S. Congress representatives: Lori Trahan (trahan.house.gov), Elizabeth Warren (warren.senate.gov), Ed Markey (markey.senate.gov).
Mary Jane Ellison and Marisa Khurana
on behalf of Arm in Arm
