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Las Vegas: The obscene, cruel nightmare of gun violence must end now.

By Penny Okamoto, Executive Director of Ceasefire Oregon

If you’re on this page, you are as frustrated and angry about gun violence as we are. Here are action items you can take right now to let your legislators know that you are demanding strong, effective gun laws and that you know guns are not making us safer.

  • Educate yourself and your friends about gun violence. Read Ceasefire Oregon’s Plan to Reduce Gun Violence to familiarize yourself with the actions that can be taken by legislators. If you have questions, call us! 503-451-3630.
  • Call your legislators.
    • Find your legislators here. If you are nervous about calling, call after hours and leave a short message.
    • Tell them to vote NO on the SHARE Act, NO on HR 367 (deregulates silencers) AND tell them NO MORE assault rifles and high-capacity magazines. Those guns are morally repugnant weapons of war and have no business in civilian America.
  • Here’s what Ceasefire Oregon is doing:
    • Renewing our call with Washington Ceasefire to ban assault rifles and high-capacity magazines.
    • Your calls are working! Oregon Congressman Peter DeFazio has rescinded his support of HR 367 (deregulates silencers).
    • Calling on all members of Congress to reject the SHARE Act, an obscene gift to the gun lobby.
    • Unveiling a plan to create a gun violence investigatory board similar to the National Transportation Safety Board to investigate shootings and recommend the best ways to escape and survive mass shootings. The NTSB has helped Americans learn how to escape fires, floods, earthquakes, hurricanes, and even tsunamis. We must learn how to escape mass shootings. We will keep you up to date on the unveiling of the plan for this board.
  • Help Ceasefire Oregon change the national messaging about gun violence. Feel free to use these phrases:
    • Don’t let the gun lobby call the shots!
    • The gun industry makes millions from sales of guns, silencers, ammo. They’re not just making a profit, they’re making a KILLING.
    • The #2A was meant to protect US from invaders. The gun lobby turned the US Constitution into a marketing device and we pay with our lives.
    • Gun policy must be made by American citizens, not the corporate gun lobby.
    • This obscene, cruel experiment with guns is a nightmare that must end now. U.S. pays gun industry profits with our lives.

Ceasefire Oregon and the Ceasefire Oregon Education Foundation do not oppose responsible gun ownership. Clearly, however, guns in the United States are far too easily accessible by too many people who should never have guns.

Help us in this fight. Please, call your legislators. Amplify our messages online. Talk to your neighbors. Invite us to speak to your PTA, book group, church, play group, or community meeting. We don’t charge speaking fees and will travel to where you need us. To book a speaker, email us at ceasefireoregon@gmail.com.

We’re all rather stunned and frightened by what happened in Las Vegas. But we can still take action. Please do it today.