Thread by @GenZWinterr

“Again, our country will cry in outrage at the obvious tragedy before us. Again, we will listen to firsthand accounts from survivors who saw their life flash before their eyes, and the life of another be taken from those they know and love. Again,

journalists will rush for interviews with heartbroken parents who are without their children, friends without their classmates. Again, we will plead in unison for our government to act. And again, a handful of spineless congressmembers in Washington will do nothing.

This is how deep the rot has festered in our democracy. While most Americans support common sense gun reform to curtail gun violence, a minority of people in power decide future generations must suffer.

We have more deaths of children and teachers from school shootings than any other country in the world. We have more gun violence in our cities than in any other industrialized country. Gun-related deaths are the leading cause of death for children.

Logically, we know how to tackle the problem in front of us. We need to close loopholes, stop civilians from acquiring military-grade weapons, and implement universal background checks.

But the corrupting influence of money in politics often severs the wires of reason and logic, leading our most powerful down diabolical paths. With a blank check, from gun lobbyists and manufacturers or other willing bidders, some congressmembers turn a blind eye.

Our first step is putting an end to a pay-to-play political system. Remove money in politics and cut the head off of the beast. But we must also go further. To put a stop to the scourge of violence in America, we need to treat the underlying cause, not just the symptoms.

Our culture is steeped in violence. Generations of children in America have been born into intense trauma, from gang and drug violence to mass shootings, to bullying and sexual violence.

War and the proliferation of militarism as self-identity promotes violence as the first, and often only, response. We must turn away from this, and fast.

It is time to coordinate our efforts across the Federal Government, working with states, businesses, communities, parents, and schools – one singular nation focused on programmatic efforts that actually work to bring about healing and peace.

I propose the U.S. Department of Peace, which will hold peace as an organizing principle. It will promote justice and democratic principles to expand human rights, coordinate restorative justice programs, address white supremacy, and strengthen nonmilitary means of peacemaking.

We must dramatically ramp up the use of proven powers of peace-building, including dialogue, mediation, conflict resolution, economic and social development, restorative justice, public health approaches to violence prevention,

trauma-informed systems of care, social and emotional learning in schools, and many others.

This is a national emergency if there ever was one.

With peace as our mission, we must act now.”

-@marwilliamson #Marianne2024