when I remember my wedding, I see an empty chair

͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏  {NAME}, when I remember my wedding, I see an empty chair. My wedding day was full of so much joy, love and happiness – memories that I'll cherish for the rest of my life. But because a gunman shot and killed my mother when I was only 19, she never got to meet my wife. She never got to spoil her grandchild. Instead of her warm, loving presence at my wedding, I was left with bittersweet memories and an empty chair. There are thousands of Americans who share my story. And after the horrific shooting in Lewiston last month, there are even more gun violence survivors like me, facing empty chairs at dinners, weddings, birthdays and holidays. That's why I've dedicated my life to ending the gun violence epidemic and working with incredible organizations like Brady PAC. They're fighting every day to elect leaders who will finally end this violence – but they need our help to do it. [Please, will you donate $5 today to help Brady PAC defeat the gun lobby and pass the lifesaving reforms that families like mine have spent decades fighting for?]( If you've saved payment information with ActBlue Express, your donation will go through immediately: [Donate $5]( [Donate $25]( [Donate $50]( [Donate Another Amount]( The gun violence epidemic in America doesn't have to be forever. The man who murdered my mother and left my father with serious gunshot wounds had a violent past. He never should have been able to access the gun that he used to kill three people and tear my family apart. There are simple, popular reforms that can end this violence – universal background checks, extreme risk protection orders, banning assault weapons and so much more. This isn't a complicated issue – it's one of the few things that Americans are truly united on these days. But because of the gun lobby's iron-tight grip on a minority of influential lawmakers in Washington and through misinformation campaigns, Congress has utterly failed to protect families like mine. We've let the NRA and corporate greed run things in Washington for far too long. That's why Brady PAC is leading a nationwide movement to defeat the gun lobby's bought-and-paid-for politicians and replace them with true gun violence prevention champions. They're waging this battle at every level of government, from the White House and Congress to state legislatures and city councils. 2024 is our chance to change things and finally end the gun violence epidemic. But the gun lobby has massive resources at their disposal. Brady PAC is counting on grassroots support from people like you to fight back. [Please, will you donate $5 before midnight tonight to make sure that our candidates have everything that they need to take on the gun lobby and win in 2024?]( [Contribute]( Thank you so much, Christian Heyne Gun Violence Survivor and Gun Safety Advocate We can't wait any longer for action on gun safety. Brady PAC is fighting for lifesaving legislation like universal background checks and an assault weapons ban, but we need your support. Chip in now to help us end gun violence in America → [DONATE]( [DONATE MONTHLY]( If you prefer to donate by mail, please make checks payable to: Brady PAC, c/o Digital 600 Pennsylvania Ave SE, #15180, Washington, D.C. 20003 Paid for by Brady PAC (bradypac.org) and not authorized by any candidate or candidate's committee ​ [You can unsubscribe from this mailing list at any time.](