Friends, I need your help.
Recent events in Orlando have weighed most heavily on my heart and mind. First and foremost, if this email happens to reach any of the surviving victims or their families, please know that my heart breaks for you. I am doing everything in my power to support you, and to honor the memory of your lost loved ones.
It is so, so important that we set aside political and/or ideological differences, and find a way to prevent any more senseless acts of violence like this. There is simply too much at stake, and far too many lives have already been shattered. It could be my mother who dies next. Or your brother. Or your daughter. Or you. Even though I carry defensive measures, I feel less safe in public now than I did 48 hours ago.
I ask you to look within yourself, and decide what kind of future you want – for yourself, your friends, your children, and their children. Do you want a future where everyone has to carry a gun to feel safe? Or do you want a future where we are all safe, because violence is no longer acceptable, or commonplace? Martin Luther King said it best, “Darkness cannot drive out darkness – only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate – only love can do that.”
In times like this, it is easy to allow fear or anger to influence our thoughts and actions… but instead I implore you to do what’s not easy – be brave. Be resolute. Let this tragedy unite us, not drive us further apart – otherwise this evil is winning. The United States of America is an idea. It is an idea that has lit the world for decades. It is the idea that despite our differences, we can be united. We can be tolerant. We can create a better future simply by creating it together. While we may come from different backgrounds and adhere to different beliefs, our hearts beat as one. There is far more that unites us than divides us.
“For in the final analysis, our most basic common link is that we all inhabit this small planet. We all breathe the same air. We all care for our children’s futures. And we are all mortal.”
President John F. Kennedy
Words and discussions are important… but now is the time for action. I have spent every waking moment since Sunday morning formulating what I believe to be an equitable solution to the epidemic of gun violence in our beloved country. I have created a “We The People” petition so that this solution can be heard and hopefully implemented by our leaders. You can read the petition and sign it (if you agree) here, or by clicking the banner below.
Sincerely and respectfully,
Chris Butler
Owner & Director of IT – The Computer Butler, LLC
You can use this button to support the victims of the shooting and their families. Please contribute whatever you can – there are survivors without any health insurance, or any kind of support system to help them through this horrific experience.