Janice Hahn: “Last week, I brought our historic gun violence sit-in back home to my district in Los Angeles to give my constituents a…”

“Last week, I brought our historic gun violence sit-in back home to my district in Los Angeles to give my constituents a chance to make their voices heard. Over 100 people joined me to demand action from this Congress. Many of them had messages for you, Speaker Ryan, and I promised that I would bring their stories back to Washington and make sure that you heard them. Shannon Ross stood with tears in her eyes at our sit-in, holding a photo of her cousin, as she explained that she had been shot and killed just blocks away from where our event was held. Sarah Wirtz, whose niece was killed at Sandy Hook Elementary School, talked about the painful decision her sister had to make, deciding whether to bury her daughter with her favorite stuffed animal or keep it to remember her by. A war veteran from Compton told the crowd that, even though his son was shot and killed 24 years ago, he still cries every day. Nora, a mother from San Pedro, said that she lives in fear of her son being shot because he is gay. Mr. Speaker, I am calling on you to listen to the stories of the people in my community and communities across this country. Empathize with the pain they feel every day, and allow us to vote on real solutions to prevent gun violence. ____________________”