This morning, People For the American Way’s YEO Action, joined by 42 young elected officials from 20 states, sent a letter to congressional leaders urging them to adopt common-sense gun violence prevention reforms.  Daniel Hernandez, one of the signers of the letter and a member of our affiliate People For the American Way Foundation’s Young Elected Officials Network, introduced the letter last night on the Ed Show. Daniel is one of the thousands of Americans who have been personally affected by gun violence: he was credited with saving then-congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords’ life after a 2011 mass shooting.

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The letter urges members of Congress to consider the impact that congressional inaction on gun violence prevention has on school boards and state and local governments.  “No child should fear going to school in the morning, no parent should fear a trip to the grocery store, and no teenagers should fear walking the streets of their own neighborhood,” the letter says. “That fear, fed by a lawless market in deadly weapons, erodes our efforts to create strong schools, safe neighborhoods and healthy local economies.”

You can read the full letter here.