 Did you see the kids marching across the country last weekend? Did you hear their speeches? And their silence? Are you feeling inspired? Here is a new group of thoughtful, committed citizens... and they are definitely ready to change the world. Let's follow them! They've walked the walk, We can talk the talk. These youthful voices need voters to back them up. What are the purple points around guns in America? Let's find them! Contact Congress and make your voices heard! This is something you can DO. In an hour. Can you spare one hour to find common ground? Take Action. For the kids.... For the future. -The Purple Living Room Team
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 Last week, we asked you to write to Congress and tell them what Purple Points you've found around the issue of Guns in America. Did you know that several of our past presidents did this years ago? In 1994, Bill Clinton was president and a bill to ban assault weapons had passed the Senate but was having difficulty in the House. Former Presidents Ford, Carter, and Reagan wrote an open letter to the House of Representatives together urging them to pass the bill. (You can read the letter below.) The bill eventually passed by just two votes. Our leaders recognized that their message was more powerful when delivered together. They also decided to put the interest of our nation above partisan politics. Two Republicans joining forces with a Democrat to support the agenda of another Democrat? That's a positively purple presidential moment. The law banning assault weapons was allowed to lapse in 2004. Is it time to bring it back? Is that a purple point today? Let's find out and get writing! We can follow the lead of our former presidents... They have set a purple precedent! -The Purple Living Room Team Read the Letter Here...May 3, 1994
To Members of the U.S. House of Representatives: We are writing to urge your support for a ban on the domestic manufacture of military-style assault weapons. This is a matter of vital importance to the public safety. Although assualt weapons account for less than 1% of the guns in circulation, they account for nearly 10% of the guns traced to crime. Every major law enforcement organization in America and dozens of leading labor, medical, religious, civil rights and civic groups support such a ban. Most importantly, poll after poll shows that the American public overwhelmingly support a ban on assault weapons. A 1993 CNN/USA Today/Gallup Poll found that 77% of Americans support a ban on the manufacture, sale, and possession of semi-automatic assault guns, such as the AK-47. The 1989 import ban resulted in an impressive 40% drop in imported assault weapons traced to crime between 1989 and 1991, but the killing continues. Last year, a killer armed with two TEC9s killed eight people at a San Francisco law firm and wounded several others. During the past five years, more than 40 law enforcement officers have been killed or wounded in the line of duty by an assault weapon. While we recognize that assault weapon legislation will not stop all assault weapon crime, statistics prove that we can dry up the supply of these guns, making them less accessible to criminals. We urge you to listen to the American public and to the law enforcement community and support a ban on the further manufacture of these weapons. Sincerely, Gerald R. Ford Jimmy Carter Ronald Reagan Source: Los Angeles Times articles.latimes.com/1994-05-05/news/mn-54185_1_assault-weapons-ban/2 Students across our nation are asking adults to finally take meaningful steps to make our schools, and our nation, safe from gun violence. Let's work together to help them. If we want Congress to pass reasonable gun legislation, we need to make our voices heard NOW. Together, we are powerful. We need to contact our representatives and tell them what WE THE PEOPLE (RED and BLUE ) want changed. WE THE PURPLE can make a difference when we act TOGETHER. Keep talking and start writing...  A Sample Letter...Dear Senator __________________
We are a group of concerned citizens from across the red/blue political divide. We recently met to talk about guns in America in hopes of finding common ground. We used the Purple Living Room Project’s discussion protocol to help find purple points of agreement. Here are the positions we discovered we have in common: 1. We believe _________ 2. We think __________ This is the middle ground. These are actionable positions you can endorse with the support of your constituents from both parties. We ask you to work with your colleagues to pass meaningful gun legislation this year. Our children deserve to feel safe at school. Our nation deserves responsible leadership. Please act now. In our conversation, we also discovered many purple points of agreement about what makes us grateful for our country. We also thank you for your commitment and service to our nation. Sincerely Yours, __________ __________ __________ __________ __________ __________ P.S. To learn more about the Purple Living Room Project, visit www.purplelivingroom.org.  We no longer feel safe...
at concerts, at the movies, at the mall, at the playground, at the store, and Our children do not feel safe at school. Enough is Enough. Our focus issue for the Purple Living Room Project will be Guns in America until Congress takes substantial action to make us all safer. We urge you to talk about this issue with friends and family. Remember, the point is not to debate the issue. We all are passionate about our beliefs, especially about this issue, it seems. The Purple Living Room Project is not about convincing others that one side is "wrong" and the other is "right". The Purple Points Protocol is focused on finding areas of common ground where red and blue perspectives overlap. What are the "common sense" gun laws that we can agree on right away? Talk to each other and then let your representatives know where you want them to begin. Let's work together to make a positive change for our country, for our children. -The Purple Living Room Team |
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May 2020
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