Dear Senator,

I would like to start off by saying that this is not a complaint letter, but it is no less important. You voted yes to requiring background checks to purchase a gun, and for that I thank you. I thank you for remembering what happened at Sandy Hook, and doing everything in your power to prevent something like that from ever happening again. You saw the connection between guns and mass murders, and you did what you could to prevent them from happening. Too many senators voted no, but you did not fail. You didn’t fail me, the rest of Rhode Island, or Orlando. You did what the people who voted for you asked you to do.

But the fight isn’t over. It’s not over, because 49 people celebrating love and life were killed for being themselves. It’s not over because my sorority sister Gabby, who I love with all of my being, could have so easily been at Pulse that night, since she lives in Orlando. I could have been at Pulse, you could have, any one of us could have been there, dancing the night away. But it’s not over because people who are not of one specific, preferred sexuality are being hunted and killed. It’s not over, because in a matter of minutes, 49 people were dead.

I believe in my heart that change can happen. I know that we can united together. An airline offered free flights to the family of the Orlando shooting victims. A GoFundMe campaign has raised millions of dollars in just a few days. A group of people flew in therapy dogs from Chicago for those hospitalized after the shooting and first responders. An insurance company offered free phone counseling, regardless of current insurance status. A hotel owner offered free hotel rooms. A cab company offered free transportation. The government will help contribute to the costs of the funerals. We have united together to help the survivors and family members of the victims live to fight another day. But that’s just it, we’re still fighting. And I don’t want to be.

Someday, I want to tell my children that, once, the LGBTQ community was persecuted for being who they are, but now we are safe. I want to tell them at it was once commonplace for mass shootings to occur, but we have since laid down our weapons. I want to tell my children that I grew up in a vastly different world, so I ask this of you: please continue to fight, no matter how the political tides turn. I want you to set aside what some voters may think of you and not lose sight of what matters -- a future of Americans being safe in their country.

This is a future I see happening, so please, never stop fighting.

Sincerely,
Savannah Lorenc.

I didn’t want to write an article about the Orlando shooting because I knew that many would say what I have been thinking in words more eloquently expressed than I have written. I decided to write about it, anyway, because a video made by YouTube star, Hannah Hart, reminded me of something -- we aren’t powerless. We may not all hold seats in office, but we do have a voice, and our voice can be shared. We can write or call our senators and representatives and tell them how we feel about gun control. We can tell them we will not be massacred any longer. This is what I’ve decided to do.

Senators and state representatives receive a lot of letters with complaints, and very few messages of gratitude. My state senators voted yes on background checks for gun ownership, but I want them to know how much I support their decisions. Most of all, I wanted to remind them that the fight is not over, but we will win.

I challenge you to write to your representatives and senators, because it does matter. They do listen to our phone calls and read our letters.

We are not voiceless. We are part of this fight. We will win.