Photo credit: John Pavolitz
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This is a difficult message to write on this most special and uniquely American holiday. Make no mistake, I will be breaking bread with my family and giving thanks for the blessings life has given. However, there is a cloud in my heart knowing other families will gather today grieving for someone they have lost cruelly and unnecessarily to the insanity of gun violence. In the last few days, we have seen gun deaths and injuries at a Walmart in Chesapeake, Virginia; a popular LGBTQ bar in Colorado Springs; young members of the University of Virginia football team; kids headed home for the Thanksgiving Holiday at Timberlake High School in Texas; and the ongoing daily toll on our streets in urban, suburban, and rural American that are so frequent they rarely make headlines beyond the local news outlets where they occur. These recent events only pile on to an inconceivable and avoidable history of gun violence that should horrify all of us. The people who are dying and injured on our streets, in our schools, places of worship and other shared spaces are interchangeable with our children, family members, friends and neighbors. We are all connected and share the grief and sense of loss but not nearly so much as those parents, friends and family who only have one degree of separation from the hideous events that have changed their lives forever. We can do something about it if we have the will. I can only speak for myself and can you assure in my capacity as a state legislator, I will do all I can to address the irrationality that has become routine in our gun loving American culture. Holidays are meant to be joyous and celebratory times in our lives. They are also times when we can have amplified moments of reflection and inspiration. May all of you have a blessed and joyful time with your families and friends and remember those with empathy and understanding who have an empty chair at their table. Thanks for reading, Kristine |