Ayanna Pressley: “I rise on behalf of the mothers, fathers, brothers, and daughters, the classmates and coworkers, the surviving family…”

“I rise on behalf of the mothers, fathers, brothers, and daughters, the classmates and coworkers, the surviving family and community members, all of whom have been robbed of loved ones due to senseless acts of gun violence. I rise on behalf of mothers with broken spirits and broken hearts. I rise on behalf of fathers with deep wounds and invisible scars, a lifetime of guilt because they couldn't keep their child out of harm's way. {time} 1045 Mr. Speaker, I rise on behalf of young boys and girls, children traumatized and sad because they have attended more funerals than graduation parties. I rise on behalf of survivors, community organizations, and advocates who selflessly trigger their own trauma to stand on the front lines of justice and movement building. I rise on behalf of districts like mine, the Massachusetts Seventh, that are weighed down by systemic inequities, generational poverty, and cycles of violence. Today, in partnership with organizers, advocates, and survivors, I am calling for a National Survivors of Homicide Victims Awareness Month to amplify the voices of families and communities severely and disproportionately impacted by gun violence; to center their struggles, their stories, their truths; to foster peace; and to seek justice. Already this year, 16 families across the Massachusetts Seventh have been robbed of their loved ones.…”