Gabby Giffords wanted to meet with Mike Johnson to discuss gun violence legislation after eight children were killed in his home town in Louisiana. Johnson declined to even speak with her. So Gabby wrote him a letter:

Dear Speaker Johnson,

It is with an increasingly heavy heart and a growing sense of urgency that I write to you today. As a former House member, a gunshot survivor, a gun owner, and an advocate, I am seeking your partnership in solving a national crisis. Eight beautiful young children were killed last weekend in Shreveport, part of the community you represent and the state you call home. I want us to work together to ensure it never happens again. I mourn for your constituents, as I trust you do, and I know there are bipartisan reforms that can save lives.

I hoped to discuss this with you on the telephone and was disappointed when you declined my request. But I will not be deterred. The work of saving lives is far too important.

As Speaker of the House of Representatives, your position affords you the rare opportunity to rise above partisanship and advance effective, bipartisan solutions that prevent suffering and save the lives of countless innocent people. As a man of faith, I know you understand in your heart how meaningful that would be.

Eight young children were murdered in your hometown. Upon your election as Speaker, you said: “God is the one who raises up those in authority.” That’s a powerful sentiment, and you must understand that it is in moments like these where faith requires believers to stand up and lead. If not after a tragedy like this, when? For what other purpose were you raised to authority?

Few elected officials leave office on their own terms. I didn’t. Political careers can be short, but legacies last forever—they outlast Congresses, presidencies, and political movements.

You have a chance I never had, the opportunity to knowingly shape your legislative legacy before the story of your career is defined by circumstances outside your control.

There is, right now, bipartisan legislation that is ready to advance. Federal legislation that can take us closer to saving lives and ensuring our children once again feel safe walking down the street, playing in the park, and sitting in their classrooms, particularly in communities with many Black families, like Shreveport, that are disproportionately impacted by gun violence.

Right now, we could work together to enact popular legislation to fight the trafficking of stolen guns, protect victims of domestic violence from abusive partners, and fund the Byrne State Crisis Intervention Program, which supports not only violence intervention programs but also mental health and veterans services. All of these would make a meaningful difference in the lives of Louisianans and Americans.

You and I will never agree on everything, and that’s okay. But I bet that if we work together, we can agree on something.

I remain ready to speak at any time. The stakes are too high for silence.

Sincerely,

Gabrielle Giffords