Newtown Action Alliance Urges Senate To Confirm Merrick Garland

Newtown CT

26 February, 2021

12:23 PM

Description

Press release from Newtown Action Alliance: Feb. 26, 2021 The following letter, signed by 165 families and survivors who are directly impacted by gun violence, was sent today to Senators to urge them to confirm Merrick Garland as U.S. Attorney General. Dear Senators: We are families and survivors who have been directly impacted by gun violence in our nation. We are writing to urge you to confirm Judge Merrick Garland, President Joe Biden's nominee for Attorney General, to lead the U.S. Department of Justice. The next U.S. Attorney General will be tasked with addressing many crises in our nation, including gun violence, the rise of violent domestic terrorism and police violence. Gun sales have surged, with a significant spike in gun deaths and injuries during the pandemic. Homicides have increased by double digits in more than a dozen major cities in 2020. Childhood deaths have risen by 40 percent in 2020 and teenage deaths are up by 37 percent. This past year, the United States experienced 612 mass shootings, a 47 percent increase from 2019. Numerous data points indicate that suicides are on the rise across the country as a growing number of Americans are taking their lives amidst the economic and social distress of Covid-19. A string of mass shooting incidents in El Paso, Texas; Gilroy, California; and Dayton, Ohio brought the threat of domestic terrorism into focus in 2019. According to the Homeland Threat Assessment released in October 2020, "Ideologically motivated lone offenders and small groups pose the most likely terrorist threat to the Homeland, with Domestic Violent Extremists presenting the most persistent and lethal threat." On January 6, 2021, we witnessed the violent insurrection in the U.S. Capitol. Shortly after the insurrection, the Acting Secretary of Homeland Security issued a National Terrorism Advisory System (NTAS) Bulletin due to "ideologically-motivated violent extremists with objections to the exercise of governmental authority and the presidential transition, as well as other perceived grievances fueled by false narratives, could continue to mobilize to incite or commit violence."Recent incidents that took the lives of Breonna Taylor, George Floyd, and Rayshard Brooks shed a light on America's history of police violence. There is a call from the gun violence prevention community to acknowledge that black lives matter and police violence is gun violence. We are pushing for anti-racist public health approaches to be prioritized with community-based policing and investments in community-based solutions to end gun violence. Judge Garland has been lauded for his flawless and inspiring work as the leading federal prosecutor in the Oklahoma City bombing case after a domestic terrorist killed 168 people ,including 19 children, in 1995. He brought everyone to the table, including the families, survivors, and the first responders who were most impacted by the bombing. Throughout his career, Judge Garland has demonstrated his commitment to civil rights. In his recent acceptance speech when nominated by President Biden for Attorney General, he expressed that one of his top priorities will be "ensuring racial equity". Today, there is a call for stronger enforcement of our gun laws. More than 260 people who have been arrested and charged for crimes related to the January 6th insurrection must be prosecuted, and police reform is necessary. Judge Garland's expertise, knowledge, and history of fairly and swiftly prosecuting domestic terrorists and white extremists makes him uniquely qualified to lead the Department of Justice. In 1997, Merrick Garland was confirmed by the Republican-controlled Senate with a 76–23 vote for the U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia seat and he has served as a Chief Judge since 2013. The Department of Justice plays a significant role in enforcing the nation's gun laws. Judge Garland, with his extensive knowledge of the Second Amendment, will ensure that the DOJ has the tools necessary to do its job and help to end the gun violence crisis in America. We are still angry and disappointed that Judge Garland was not confirmed to replace Justice Antonin Scalia for the Supreme Court of the United States in 2016 due to political gamesmanship. We urge all Senators to choose their country over party and confirm Merrick Garland as our next Attorney General. We are confident that he will bring the families and the survivors who are most impacted by gun violence, domestic terrorism, and police violence to the table to make our nation safer and restore justice to the Justice Department. Thank you for your consideration. Sincerely, Families and survivors directly impacted by gun violenceMegan Ackerman, Los Angeles, CaliforniaElizabeth Adams, Gulf Breeze, FloridaKatherine Aker, Tujunga, CaliforniaMayra and Daniel Alvear, Orlando, Florida Miyoshia Bailey, Chicago, IllinoisSharon Baker, Goshen, Indiana Michelle Barnes-Anderson, Brooklyn, New YorkTeche Bergeron, Las Vegas, NevadaTerri Betz, Sutherlin, Oregon Stephanie Bishop, Atlanta, GeorgiaMichael Bishop, Pine Mountain, GeorgiaJeri Bishop, Pine Mountain, GeorgiaPaul Bocanegra, San Jose, CaliforniaSusan Bolle, Tiburon, CaliforniaTika Bordelon, Seattle, Washington Shaundelle Brooks, Naahville, TexasSusan Browder, Gainesville, FloridaStephanie Brown, Chicago, IllinoisLinda Brundage, East Lansing, MichiganAmy Bruner, Cedar Rapids, IowaValerie Burgest, Chicago, IllinoisMilagros Burgos, Chicago, IllinoisRafael Burgos, Chicago, IllinoisJulie Butcher, La Crescenta, CaliforniaBarbara Campbell, Newtown, ConnecticutTom Campbell, Danbury, ConnecticutJanice Cannon, Chicago, IllinoisKeren Carter, Concord, CaliforniaShirley Carter, Dallas, TexasMonica Cassaberry, Brooklyn, New YorkHeather Chapman, Parkland, FloridaLauren Child, South Pasadena, CaliforniaDavid Christman, Athens, GeorgiaJames A Clark Jr, Colorado Springs, ColoradoPatrice Collins, New Haven, ConnecticutNicole Cook, Parkland, FloridaMichele Cooper, San Diego, CaliforniaYvonne Crasso, Middletown, ConnecticutMarie Curtis, Oakhurst, New JerseyDeborah Davis, Hartford, ConnecticutMarina Delgado, San Pedro, CaliforniaJudith DeNunzio, Beech Mountain, North CarolinaCarolyn Dixon, South Jamaica, Queens, New York doreen dodgen-magee, Tualatin, Oregon Tara Donnelly, Easton, ConnecticutJane Dougherty, Littleton, ColoradoBrad Dupee, Boulder, ColoradoAnnika Dworet, Coral Springs, FloridaMitchell Dworet , Coral Springs, FloridaChristine Evans, San Diego, CaliforniaGail Finney, Davis, CaliforniaKathleen Florence, Oak lawn, IllinoisAdam Friedman, Washington, District of ColumbiaMary Fryer, San Francisco, CaliforniaRandy Gardner, South Pasadena, CaliforniaKim Gatbunton, Lakewood, Washington Gerald F. Gaudin, Metarie, LouisianaCarol Gaxiola, SAHUARITA, ArizonaWayne Gilbert, Tiburon, CaliforniaJordan Gomes, Sandy Hook, ConnecticutRoxanna Green, Tucson, ArizonaShanequa Griffin, New York, New YorkShirell Gross, North Hollywood, CaliforniaFred Guttenberg, Parkland, FloridaHolly Hall, Temecula, CaliforniaArcher Heinzen, Alexandria, Virginia Pamela Hight, New York, New YorkGerry Hills, Phoenix, ArizonaRebecca Hindman, Santa Clarita, CaliforniaDr Robert Hofland, PhD, Torrance, CaliforniaKelley Ireland, Tucson, ArizonaKinnon John, San Leandro, Californiadolene john, Brooklyn, New YorkRachael Joseph, Minneapolis, MinnesotaNadine Joseph, Brooklyn, New YorkJoshua Kadish, Reseda, CaliforniaPaul Kaneko, Santa Cruz, CaliforniaAlyssa Kilpatrick, Sierra Madre, CaliforniaBill Kingston, New Castle, New HampshireCarolee Koehn, Lakewood, ColoradoKerry Kraemer, Lockport, IllinoisPamela Lane, Fortuna, CaliforniaHonora Laszlo, Arlington, Virginia Edward Laurson, Denver, ColoradoJenn Lawlor, Bethel, ConnecticutTom Lawlor, Bethel, ConnecticutLisa Litberg, Morton Grove, Illinois Mia Livas Porter, Los Angeles, CaliforniaDon Lococo, Newtown, ConnecticutMary Long, Chicago, IllinoisKim Lutz, Glen Ellyn, IllinoisJacinda Maatu, Bridgeport, ConnecticutSara Macaluso, Los Angeles, CaliforniaAnn Madsen, Lynnwood, Washington Patricia Maisch, Tucson, Arizona Denise Marks, Valencia, PennsylvaniaVeronica Maul, Crowley, TexasMarcel McClinton, Houston, TexasKimberly McFadden, Mundelein, IllinoisChristine Miller, Sandy Hook, ConnecticutDionne Miller, Sauk Village, IllinoisBrenda Mitchell, University Park, IllinoisCindy Montoya, Los Angeles, CaliforniaSydney Montstream-Quas, Barrington, Rhode IslandGiselle Morch, Silver Spring, MarylandJenny Morgan, Grand Prairie, TexasPeter Murchison, Ridgefield, ConnecticutDavid O'Connor, Shoreline, Washington Manuel Oliver, Parkland, FloridaCorey E. Olsen, Delafield, WisconsinRick & Martha Omilian, Plainwell, MichiganGregory Orfalea, Washington, District of ColumbiaMarc Orfanos, Thousand Oaks, CaliforniaTymaeus Orfanos, Thousand Oaks, CaliforniaPatricia Padauy, Parkland, FloridaDeborah Parker, Tucson, ArizonaNatalie Pavia, Thousand Oaks, CaliforniaNicholas Payne, New Milford, ConnecticutJoan Peterson, Cloquet, MinnesotaSandy Phillips, Boerne, TexasLonnie Phillips, Boerne, TexasMaria Pike, Chicago, IllinoisChip Pryde, Flat Rock, North CarolinaMary Reed, Tucson, ArizonaJudi Richardson, South Portland, MaineWayne Richardson, South Portland, MaineMadison Roeschke, Santa Clarita, CaliforniaRosa Rosenberg, Los Angeles, CaliforniaKelly Rotella, St Charles, Illinois Liz Russell, Napa, CaliforniaElizabeth Saint, Stratford, ConnecticutApril Schentrup, Seattle, Washington Susan Schmidt-Orfanos, Thousand Oaks, CaliforniaJudy Schneider-Wallace, Everett, Washington Gail Schwartz, Parkland, FloridaTangela Sears, Miami, Florida Clare Senchyna, San Francisco, CaliforniaRuth Senchyna, Albany, New YorkJessica Sewell, Stockton, CaliforniaPam Simon, Tucson, ArizonaKristin Song, Guilford, ConnecticutManjula Stokes, Santa Cruz, California Gladys T, Bolingbrook, Illinois Cathy Taylor, Midlothian, TexasSheena Tucker, Queens, New YorkCarolyn Tuft, Salt Lake City, UtahLenie Urbina, Sandy Hook, ConnecticutMichele Voigt, Greenwich, ConnecticutGail Warek, Sandy Hook, ConnecticutLeslie Washington, Cape Girardeau, Missouri Bethany Webb, Huntington Beach, CaliforniaAngela Weber, Coral Springs, FloridaJan Weisel, Woodinville, Washington Jane Weiss, Snohomish, Washington Stephanie Wells, Carlsbad, CaliforniaWendy Wheatcroft, San Diego, CaliforniaBrenda Whitney, Laguna Niguel, CaliforniaLarriccia Wiley, Dallas, TexasElsie Wilkens, St Louis, Missouri Anita Wills, San Leandro, CaliforniaMaría José Wright, Miami, FloridaFrederick Wright, Miami, FloridaAbbie Youkilis, Cincinnati, OhioMissy Zeitsoff, Santa Barbara, California This press release was produced by Newtown Action Alliance. The views expressed here are the author's own.