Denounce Hate, Embrace Love
We, the Coalition Against Gun Violence, and the Concert Across America to #EndGunViolence Santa Barbara, offer our condolences to the family, friends, and fans of Christina Grimmie, another innocent victim of gun violence that plagues our country. Christina Grimmie was a talented young artist and a former contestant of the singing competition show The Voice. Her young life was cut short at 22 years of age as she met fans to sign autographs after a concert she performed in Orlando, Florida.
Just two days later, our nation awoke to the horror and terror that resulted in 49 innocent lives murdered and stripped away from their families and loved ones due to hate and gun violence. Forty-nine souls who will never see another birthday, graduation, Christmas, or other special holidays with their loved ones — their families now forever touched by grief and gun violence.
We must stand in solidarity with #Orlando and the LGBTQ community to send a message to all communities across the nation that we will not be bullied by the bigotry and venom of those armed and mobilized by hate to destroy and end the lives of innocent people. We will stand together to denounce hate and instead embrace love. We will stand together to say “ENOUGH!” We must rise and organize, against revulsion and gun violence. We must come together to be the change that must be made in our nation.
We must send a clear message to our leaders across the nation that we will not accept mass shootings as new normal. Protecting the lives, liberty and pursuit of happiness of all Americans should be their fundamental duty. We must hold those accountable who continue to bend at the will of the gun lobby.
In solidarity against gun violence, the Concert Across America will be held to remember the victims of gun violence on September 25, 2016; in Santa Barbara it will be at the Arlington Theatre. Artists and the community will join together to remember the victims of gun violence and to promote unity, peace, and education in gun violence prevention. Our video, Hallelujah, offers a glance at our movement to mobilize with music against gun violence.
