I wish I could have dinner with my dad today.

‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ [Image of Brenda and her dad]( friend, Yesterday was my dad's birthday. I would give anything to be able to celebrate with him, to have him and my family over for Sunday dinner, but he was viciously stolen from me seven years ago. My father, Robert Godwin Sr., was shot and killed while he was walking to my house for dinner, in a heinous, random attack that was broadcast on the internet. I’m the youngest of six siblings and Sunday dinner was always important to my family, even if there wasn’t a holiday. It was a time we set aside to cook delicious meals and be with our family, a tradition I still continue with my own daughter today. That gunman didn’t just kill a person that day, he destroyed a whole family. Losing the strongest man I knew to gun violence left a gaping hole in my life, in my whole family, that remains to this day. What’s worse is that I know that my family is not alone in this pain, far too many have experienced the unimaginable reality of losing a loved one to gun violence and it’s why I work to stop the next tragedy. My dad was an incredible man who was loved by his community and everyone who met him. Really, the sweetest person you would ever meet. After he retired, all my dad wanted to do was fish, he was known as the “four rods man” because he’d cast four rods and catch fish on all of them – a special skill most couldn’t achieve. He was handy and a tinkerer, collecting fans and vacuum cleaners to fix up and give to people in the community. I wish I could be celebrating this special man with my family today, but instead, we are missing him. And I don't want any other family to feel this loss and grief. So today, I'm asking you to join me in taking action to honor the fathers that we have lost and fight for those we can still save: [Will you join me in calling on Congress to take life-saving action to end gun violence?]( [Add Your Name]( For a long time I felt guilty, that I should’ve been able to do something to stop what happened, wondering how I could’ve changed it. I felt in limbo, like my feet couldn’t touch the ground, but I finally felt solid ground when I came to gun violence prevention work at Brady. I learned from my dad to ask what I want my legacy to be in this world and now I’ve dedicated my life to ending this uniquely American epidemic. And I know that if we fight together, we can save lives. Thank you for joining me in honoring my dad today and for your dedication to this fight every day. Brenda Haymon Gun Violence Survivor Senior Director Human Resources & Operations Friends, thank you for supporting Brady. ['Brady is committed to defeating the NRA, electing gun safety champions and passing common-sense bipartisan legislation – but we need your help.'](#) If you're in this fight to create a better, safer country for future generations, join Brady today by making a gift. [DONATE]( [DONATE MONTHLY]( Brady 840 First Street, NE Suite 400 Washington, DC 20002 United States This message was sent to your email address. The Brady Campaign is a 501c(4) and donations to the Brady Campaign are not eligible for a tax deduction. By making a donation, you agree to have your donation added to a matching-gift fund made up of other grassroots donations that will inspire others to donate to the Brady Campaign. If you would like to make a tax deductible donation today, please consider making a gift to the Brady Center. [Click here to donate.]( Emails are crucial for communicating with top members of the Brady Campaign team. To put an end to the gun violence epidemic, we need you on board every step of the way. However, if you would prefer to receive fewer emails, [click here to update your contact preferences.]( If you received this email by mistake or would like to stop receiving email communications from us, [unsubscribe](. Paid for by the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence (www.bradyunited.org), not authorized by any candidate or candidate’s committee.