From left to right:

Xavier Lopez. Uziyah Garcia. Nevaeh Bravo. Alexandria Aniyah Rubio. Maite Yuleana Rodriguez. Makenna Lee Elrod. Amerie Jo Garza. 

Eliahana Cruz Torres. Annabell Guadalupe Rodriguez. Eliana “Ellie” Garcia Jayce Luevanos. Jailah Nicole Silguero. Tess Marie Mata. Alithia Ramirez. 

Jose Flores. Miranda Mathis. Rojelio Torres. Jackie Cazares. Layla Salazar. Irma Garcia. Eva Mireles

Support Uvalde families by donating to these verified support funds

—

As elected officials, as parents, as aunts and uncles, as neighbors, and as human beings in this moment, we are raw. We are devastated. We are angry. We are exhausted. Everything hurts from collectively living and being exposed to perpetual violence, trauma, and devastation.

It has been just ten days after Buffalo and nearly ten years since Sandy Hook. In that time, there have been hundreds of school shootings but nothing has changed. Our children continue to endure this legacy of violence.

Gun violence is a policy choice. Our state and federal electeds – including Greg Abbott, Dan Patrick, Ken Paxton, Ted Cruz, John Cornyn, and Mitch McConnell – have and continue to refuse to act on gun control because they are beholden to the NRA, which funnels millions into their campaigns and allows them to stay in power while Black elders are gunned down in grocery stores and Brown babies are killed in school. Instead they have already doubled down on arming educators, increasing police in schools, and peddling false narratives meant to distract and exhaust us – all while still planning to speak at the NRA’s annual meeting in Houston tomorrow.

We know that gun culture in America is inexorably linked to white supremacy. As local elected officials fighting for racial and economic justice, we must use every power we have – as policymakers, organizers and community leaders – to push for gun control and hold state and federal leaders accountable for their inaction.

We know what will make our communities safer. And while the road ahead is not clear, it is up to us to find it together

We encourage you to take time to care for yourself and those around you and find a way to take action locally. The Local Progress network is here – as a safe space for strategizing, organizing, mobilizing and restoring your faith in the work – always.

In righteous rage and solidarity,

Adam Bazaldua and Vanessa Fuentes

LPTX Organizing Committee co-chairs