Survivor Letter to Members of Congress In Response to January 6th Attack
Dear Members of the 117th Congress,
As survivors of gun violence, we write to you today –– on the first day of National Gun Violence Survivors Week ––for two reasons. First, to formally welcome you to the 117th Congress, and second, because like us, you have experienced a life-changing trauma.
Each of us remembers the day when our lives were marked by tragedy. We were reminded of those traumas as we watched in horror on January 6th, when a deadly, armed mob stormed the very place you work in an attempted coup. We couldn’t help but see our experiences reflected in yours –– the fear, the shock, and the aftermath were all painfully familiar. But we also couldn’t help but think how much more deadly the riot could have been if there had not been strong laws in place prohibiting guns in the U.S. Capitol and on Capitol grounds.
Our stories are varied, and your story is your own. But we can all agree that democracy doesn’t work at gunpoint, and what happened at the U.S Capitol was violent and a painful reminder of the many different forms gun violence can take, including armed extremism.
Many of us have visited with you in your offices on Capitol Hill to talk about our experiences. You’ve listened to our stories of recovery, of lives cut short or forever changed, and of healing. Many of you have even been a source of comfort in our darkest days and a source of inspiration as we create a safer tomorrow.
That’s why, despite the horrific attack on January 6th, we remain hopeful: because you are fighting back against the violent extremism emboldened by the NRA, and there are millions of Americans standing behind us, demanding a world where people can live safely and freely.
As survivors of gun violence, we want to offer you our complete support as you reflect upon the events of January 6th and fight to make sure they never happen again. And as we begin this new Congress, we look forward to working with you to address America’s gun violence crisis in all of its forms, including armed intimidation, gun suicide, domestic violence, city gun violence and more.
We offer you hope, strength, and resilience.
Sincerely,
Abbey Clements, CT
Aimee Rozen, CA
Alejandro Mena, TX
Alex Lisulov, OR
Alex Van Dyke, KS
Alice Hanify, WA
Alice T Norris, IL
Alicia Campbell, NC
Alicia Schemel, IL
Alissa Robinson, MA
Alyce Zottoli, AR
Alyssa Short, VA
Amanda Kopacz, FL
Amy Heffern, NJ
Amy Butel, NM
Amy Dixon, GA
Amy Campbell, OR
Andrea Murray, NY
Andrea Chamblee, CA
Andrea Quann, IA
Angel Lewis-Smith, SC
Angela Gardiner, DC
Angela Allen, MO
Angelina Howard, WA
Angella Veenstra, IA
Anita Busch, CA
Anna Carpenter, TX
Anna Riley, MA
Anne Lyczak, NH
Annemarie Bean, NY
Annette Perry, RI
April Schentrup, WA
Ashley Cech, NY
Ashley Cohen, SC
Barbara Ramirez, CA
Barbara Noblin, TX
Barbara Stowe, SC
Barry Moak, TX
Beverly Kingma, WI
Bonnie Rich, IL
Brandy Steelhammer, OR
Brenda Miller, KS
Brenda Moss, VA
Brian Schandevel, MI
Briar Goldberg, CO
Brittany Dalton, OH
Cara Cynkar, WA
Carli Kreminski, NJ
Carol Chance, DC
Carol McKinney, CO
Carolyn Morton, AL
Carolyn Dixon, NY
Cate Kager, PA
Cate Barker, AZ
Catherine Person, CA
Catherine Allen, FL
Catherine Shim Garant, CA
Cathy Taylor, TX
Celeste Kanpurwala, MI
Charity Townsend, MI
Charlene Hoverter, NJ
Cheryl Stumbo, WA
Chris Pave, FL
Christina Robinson, MA
Christina Gardner, CO
Christine Heath, TX
Christine Castillo, MN
Christine Maugeri, MO
Christy Garrett-Jones, AR
clare senchyna, CA
Claude Bitner, TX
Clint Bump, MT
Corey E. Olsen, WI
Cri Campbell Schine, CA
Crystal Carter, NJ
Dana Ellis, AL
Darlene Cain, MD
DeAndra Dycus, IN
DeAnn Black, UT
Debbie Hamilton, CA
Debbie Weir, VA
Debi Boyette, WA
Deborah Wornum, MA
Deborah Nelson, CA
Deborah Beck Joyce, VA
Diana Duran, TX
Diana Garlington, RI
Donna Burdyck King, MD
Donna Harrison, CO
Donna Brown, CA
Donna Bryan, FL
Dorothy Duncan, SC
Dr. Kathy Tatum, TX
Dustin Kearns, OR
Edie Smith, AZ
Eileen Kemp, OR
Eileen Granata, OH
Elaine Drew, MN
Elaine Bishop, IN
Elizabeth Duke, MO
Elizabeth Klein, OR
Ellen Kropp-Rogers, OR
Elva Mendoza, TX
Emanuel Lipscomb, DC
Emily Aughey, NY
Emily Cohen, NC
Emily Nottingham, AZ
Erica Lafferty, CT
Erica Mullen, NY
Erick Bellomy, OH
Erin Yust Brown, PA
Felicia Williams, TX
Frances Carroll, NJ
Frederick Wright, FL
Gail Bousquet-Hiller, MA
Geena Marano, NV
Gian-Claudia Sciara, TX
Giesela Tanner, CA
Gilbert Lee, WI
Gina Crofts, CA
Gina Pelusi, PA
Giselle Morch, MD
Glen Anderson, WA
Glenda Torres-Scott, NJ
Gregg Atwell, CA
Gwendolyn La Croix, MI
Haley Rinehart, KY
Heidi Marine, CA
Helen Rodrigues, CA
Helen Bumpus, MA
Holly Hall, CA
Howard Fertig, NJ
Ilona Kramer, NY
Ilyse Levine-Kanji, MA
Insherah Qazi, AR
Irene M Diaz, AZ
Ivy Schamis, DC
Jack Whitney MD, IL
Jackie Reilly, CO
Jacqueline Dezeeuw Rippert, SD
Jacqueline Keavney Lader, CO
James Nosal, WI
Jamie McLaughlin, NJ
Jan Weisel, WA
Jane Sweeney, RI
Jane Weiss, WA
Janice Walker, IL
Jarren Peterson Dean, MN
Jason Sherman, FL
Jason Catalano, NY
Jay Vantuyl, MO
Jean Ross, MN
Jenitra Williams, IL
Jennifer Scharf, CA
Jennifer Keon, TX
Jenny Morgan, TX
Jessica Curran-Lamoureux, ME
Jo Ann McGreevy, NJ
Joan Gilbert, AZ
Joann Milligan, MI
John Souter, MN
John Starbuck, GA
Josefina Cannon, TX
Joseph Pampena, PA
Joshua Kadish, CA
Joy Morgen, WI
Joyce Szewka, IN
Judith Majcen, OH
Julvonnia McDowell, GA
June Peterson, AZ
KaKi McKinney, NC
Karen Brown, IL
Karen Hardin, TN
Karen Pandula, CA
Karen Gonzales, CO
Karl Catarata, NV
Katherine Aker, CA
Kathetine Dorn, ID
Kathleen Steven, CO
Kathleen OHair, NY
Kathleen Brennan, TX
Kathleen McFadden, ME
Kathy Nichols, GA
Kathy Bradley, SC
Katie Olson, WI
Katie Fox, VA
Kay Miller, MD
Keena Charles, KS
Kelly Murphy, CO
Kenneth Bernoska, WI
Kerry Kraemer, IL
Kevin Eagleton, TX
Khary Penebaker, WI
Kim Graham, TX
Kim Bass, OH
Kimberly Craig, FL
Kimberly Booker-Angel, TX
Kristina Paris, WI
Kristine Chapman, VA
Lacey Merica, NE
Lael Johnson, CA
LaKeisha Chestnut, AL
LaTonya Boyd, KS
Laura Brown, NM
Laura Hewgley, MO
Laura Abbasi, CA
Lauren Boggs Meslar, VA
Leslie Blanton, TX
Leslie Plummer, VA
Leslie Lee, CO
Leslie Walcoff, GA
Leslie Washington, MO
Leslie Badaines, TN
Lester Dodson, TN
Leticia Yuzefpolsky, CA
Li’ Shey Johnson, NV
Linda McFadyen-Ketchum, TN
Linda Coogan, AL
Linda English, NY
Lindsay Wolk, FL
Linell Grundman, DC
Lisa Messina, GA
Lisa Morris, MD
Lisa Hendricks, OR
Lisette Johnson, VA
Lita Hetherington, DE
Liz Donnelly, MO
Lori Jean Finnila, OR
Madeleine Garcelon, OR
Maisie Devine, FL
Marcia Miller, OH
Marcy Woodruff, MN
Margaret Blondis, IL
Maria Pike, IL
Maria Jose Wright, FL
Marie Mitarotondo, NJ
Marilyn Dresser, KS
Marisol DeLeon, NY
Marsha Lee, IL
Marvella Carraway, SC
Mary Dieudonne, IL
Mary Miller-Strobel, MI
Mary Tegtmeier, TX
Mary Ward, WA
Mary Wolf, WI
Mary Ferm, WA
Mary Ann Jacob, CT
Mary Jane McGinnis, NJ
Mary Rita Shank, CA
Marybeth Santarelli, MA
Mayra Alvear, FL
McKay Sohlberg, OR
Meghan Glenn, MI
Melanie Greene, TX
Melinda Goodwin, TX
Meredith Cummings, AL
Meryle A. Korn, WA
Mia Livas Porter, CA
Miami Knight, GA
Mica Song, AZ
Michael Lonergan, AZ
Michael McNaney, AZ
Michele Hill-Davis, NY
Michele Voigt, CT
Michelle Allen, NY
Michelle Garner, CA
Milagros Burgos, IL
Milani Lee, CA
Misty Wegman, OR
Miya Tandon, DC
Mollie Peterson, MI
Molly Lanzarotta, MA
Monteria Robinson, GA
Nancy Horton, CT
nancy Burge, IN
Nancy St Germain, RI
Nancy Fifer, TX
Nicole Broerman, GA
Nicole Kentor, CA
Nicole Jalloh, MD
Nicole Snyder, MI
Nicole Zenner, IL
Nicole Alzamora, NJ
Nisha Atre Richardson, NY
Nissi Hamilton, TX
Noelle Sullivan, IL
Nori Rost, CO
Norma Montano, OH
Norman Lodato, VA
Ocean Pellett, CT
Octavia Pleas, KS
Omorose Butler, FL
Pam Lovall, TX
Pamela Wright-Young, IL
Pastor Jackie Jackson, OH
Pat Hazlett, OR
Patricia Elias, TX
Patricia Steele, MD
Patricia Sharpe, MA
Peter Colclasure, CA
Rachel Maurice, CA
Rae Ann Weaver, PA
Rafael Burgos, IL
Randi Stern, IL
Randy Harrison, OR
Ray Haneski, FL
Rebecca Egolf, IL
Regina Griego, NM
Rev. Sharon Risher, NC
Richard Martinez, CA
Rick Huleatt, CT
Rick Held, TN
Rita Brown, NJ
Robert Gaafar, NY
Robert Buzzanco, TX
robyn Platis, NJ
Robyn Arnold, WA
Rodney McKinney, CO
Rolf Olson, MN
Romania Dukes, FL
Rosalind Blair, KY
Roycinda Alexander, VA
Salli Garrigan, VA
Sandra Rohde, WI
Sandra Stapleton, IN
Sandra Ledyard, AL
Sara Milford, AR
Sara Macaluso, CA
Sara Grossman, CO
Sara M Diss, NV
Sarah Moss, TN
Sarah Phillips, FL
Sawyeh Maghsoodloo, NY
Sean O’Daniel, IN
Semiramis Rogers, KS
Sharese Beasley, GA
Sharmaine Brown, GA
Sharon Heath, MA
Sharon Kemble, PA
Sharon Drame, IN
Sharon Vantuyl, MO
Sherry Abdul Malik, MI
Stacy Spejewski, IN
Stephanie Halfmoon, OK
Stephanie Wells, CA
Stephanie Vanderslice, AR
Stephanie Stone, GA
Stephen Rost, NY
Susan Lewis, MN
Susan Linden, FL
Suzanne Solow, NJ
Sylvia Banks, OR
Tahana Salvadalena, WA
Tara Donnelly, CT
Taylor Shaw, PA
Temple Hiatt, IA
Thomas Dwyer, WA
Tia Christiansen, MA
Tina Meins, DC
Tisa Whack, SC
Tom Brown, IN
Traci Blair, VA
Valerie Burgest, IL
Veronica Melton, NV
Vicki Gordy-Stith, DE
Vicki Hanna, WA
Victoria Koenitzer, CA
Virginia Phillips, TX
Vita Larkin, MD
Wendy Watson-Marietta, IN
William Alsmeyer-Johnson, VA
Wilson Alexander, MA
Yvonne Murray, CA
Zach Van Harris JR, SD