I am a citizen of the United States of America.
I vote.
I pay taxes at every level.
I have a right to feel safe whenever I step outside of my door:
When I visit my neighborhood grocery store: Tuscon 8 January 2011
When I go to a movie theater: Aurora 20 July 2012
When I attend church: Oak Creek Wisconsin 5 August 2012; Wichita 31 May 2009: Knoxville Tennessee 27 July 2008
When I visit a university: Oikos University 2 April 2012; Northern Illinois University 14 February 2008; Virginia Tech 16 August 2007
Or I visit a school: Midland City Alabama 30 January 2013; Sandy Creek Elementary 14 December 2012; Columbine High School 20 April 1999
Or any where -- I have a right to feel safe. I have a right to feel that my neighbors are safe. I have a right to feel that school children are safe. I have rights, too.
A number of U.S. Senators disagree. They want to filibuster my rights.
Joan McCarter, in today's KOS, talks about these senators.
I assembled their DC telephone numbers:
Richard Burr (NC): (202)224-3149
Daniel Coats (IN): (202)224-5623
Mike Crapo (ID): (202)224-6142
Ted Cruz (FL): (202)224-5922
Michael Enzi (WY): (202)224-3424
James Inhofe (OK): (202)224-4721
Ron Johnson (WI): (202)224-5323
Mike Lee (UT): (202)224-5444
Jerry Moran (KS): (202)224-6521
Rand Paul (KY): (202)224-4343
James Risch (ID): (202)224-2752
Pat Roberts (KS): (202)224-4774
Marco Rubio: (202)224-3041
I called each one with this message:
Everywhere I go now, I think about exits and doorways and potential places to hide and things to barricade and fight back with,
This is a quote from Ms. Kristina Anderson in yesterdays New York Times.
Ms Kristina Anderson is a survivor of the Virginia Tech Shootings. She was wounded but lived.
This is America.
Now.
Because of guns. Because of the gun sickness of this nation.
Because of the NRA.
I cannot feel safe when I step outside my door. Every place is a potential crime scene, a shooting site -- and I have a problem with U.S. Senators who want to filibuster my right to feel safe.
I give them my name and I tell them what state I'm from. I always spell my last name because I do not want to be confused with Michele Bachmann.
These Senators need to be hammered with phone calls.