Katherine Clark: “We have come to the floor today to demand action. We have come to the floor with John Lewis. When John Lewis speaks--the…”

“We have come to the floor today to demand action. We have come to the floor with John Lewis. When John Lewis speaks--the conscience of our Congress--America listens. As the barbaric details of the massacre of people dancing at the Pulse nightclub were released, I grieved for those lost. I thought about their dancing and how the human species is the only species that dances. Maybe that is because dancing is a celebration of spirit. Whether you love the waltz, the dab, square dancing, disco, or raves, dancing connects us. For the LGBT community, the dance floor is often the place at which acceptance and belonging come together. While the massacre of 49 people would have been horrifying and shocking wherever it had happened, it happened on the dance floor at a gay club. A place of refuge--where fear and intimidation give way to joy, acceptance, and belonging--was transformed by hate and cowardice into a grotesque barrow. Many of our sanctuaries have been violated by gun violence. It is a grisly routine: first graders and their teachers shot in their elementary school; students and professors shot in their college classrooms; parishioners shot after Bible study and fellowship in their church; social workers and disabled clients shot at a holiday party; our colleague shot while meeting with constituents; neighborhood sidewalks and parks transformed into blood soaked memorials.…”