Former Rep. Gabrielle Giffords and her anti-gun organization on Friday released an online advertisement urging Congress to pass reform, just a day before the one-year mark of the tragedy at Sandy Hook Elementary School.
The digital ad, paid for by Americans for Responsible Solutions, begins with an image of a group of people holding hands while “Silent Night” plays in the background. Other photographs depict mourning individuals, a sign reading “Our hearts are broken,” and makeshift memorial. It ends with text that reads: “30,000 die each year from gun violence. How long do we have to wait for Congress to act?”
The Christmas carol has joyous connotations for many, but probably not for families affected by last year’s shooting, Pia Carusone, the organization’s executive director, said.
“The holiday season is tough for families, especially for those who lost loved ones,” she told msnbc. “How long will we have to wait? That is what I think the country is asking, and we hope Congress can address.”
The group expects the ad to air for at least five days.
“It’s symbolic. This is a problem that we’re facing and Congress hasn’t done much to address it,” Carusone said.
Giffords, who resigned from Congress after being shot by a gunman two years ago in Tucson, Ariz., last week closed her campaign and transferred the remaining balance – nearly $300,000 – to a newly-created Rights and Responsibilities PAC.
She previously aired radio ads holding accountable Republican Sens. Kelly Ayotte and Mitch McConnell for voting against the unsuccessful gun-control bill the Senate failed to pass in April.
Michele Richinick