Nearly 1200 Pennsylvanians lose their lives to gun violence every year. Thousands more are injured. Every victim has friends, family, neighbors, classmates, and coworkers who will carry the experience with them for the rest of their lives. Together with CeaseFirePA, survivors of gun violence are taking a stand against gun violence by sharing their stories and dedicating themselves to fight against illegal guns.
Watch the testimonies below and help share them with your personal networks on Facebook, Twitter, or email. If you have your own story, please share it with us, and we will make sure that more people have the opportunity gain strength from your voice.
If you have never personally suffered from gun violence, you can show support for those who have by sharing your pledge to take a stand against gun violence. Use the links below to send your support or share your story.
Gun violence tears at the fabric of a community. Gun violence destabilizes a community. I'm working against gun violence to get illegal handguns off the street, so that our communities can be safe places to live and thrive. I hope you will join me in our work against gun violence.
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I'm terribly concerned about the escalating gun violence. We need to make as much effort as possible to be sure that individuals in our state are kept safe. This is not only a public safety issue. It is very costly health issue as well. I'm taking stand against gun violence and I hope you will join me.
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I'm taking a pledge against gun violence. My stepson was killed by gun violence. He was killed just for hanging with the wrong crowd. You should be able to hang with whoever you like without having to worry about your life being taken at such a young age. You and everybody else should make a pledge against gun violence.
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I'm taking a stand against gun violence because I lost my brother who was a father of two, and my friend Erica who was a mother of two, and I don't think it's fair that people lose their lives over guns.
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I'm here to stand against gun violence. I lost my friend to it. She's somebody I thought we would grow up together, our kids would grow up together. Something stupid like this ended here life.
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My name is Savannah, this is my son. We're taking a stand against gun violence. I lost my best friend, his best friend too. We came to light a candle today to remember her.
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We're here to light a candle in honor of Erica Rosa, who's a family member, a friend, sister, mother, daughter -- who unfortunately lost her life to gun violence. We're here today to remember all the victims, and hopefully, this can help make a change.
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I'm taking a stand against gun violence. I lost my son a few months ago to a shooting. His best friend shot him, killed him. I just want to make sure that doesn't happen to another family.
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We lost Erica Rosa last year over stupid arguments and we're against gun violence.
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I first became interested in the subject in 1963. I was a young security officer for the US Department of State and when President Kennedy was assassinated I was called to participate in an investigation into Lee Harvey Oswald. We found immediately that he was able to purchase the weapon used to kill President Kennedy by mail order. No questions asked. He just filled out a form and it was shipped. He used that weapon to kill the president.
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I'm taking a stand against gun violence because I live in the community, I see it every day. I've lost people that I've known close to me. I'm doing this for the children, because they're the next generation.
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I'm doing what a lot of people dont have the heart to do - and that's speak against it. We've got to stand up.
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Four years ago my 24 year old son was shot four times at close range and he is now quadriplegic. I believe it is the duty of all of us to protect our citizens. I don't want any other mother to find out in the middle of the night that her son has been shot and may not live. I believe it is the duty of the people we elect to protect us, to actually protect us.
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This June I lost my father, my best friend, and two friends from the neighborhood. I feel that nobody should have to go through the amount of pain I've been through this year. Hopefully when you see this, you'll realize there are actually people who are suffering and in pain.
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My son Franklin Carter was shot in 1993. I'm taking a stand because we all need to come together - to get these things straightened out. Get these guns off the street. I don't want other mothers to be hurting like hurt.
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My whole adult life I've talked about the need for sensible gun laws but I never did anything but talk. I knew I couldn't just talk any more. I had to get involved. I knew I wouldn't be able to sleep if something happened and I hadn't taken some action.
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My daughter lost one of her dear friends to gun violence at the Baldwin School. It was a tragic incident that shocked this Main Line community - that something like this could happen in our own backyard, and it made me realize how vulnerable we all are to the randomness of gun violence.
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An employee of mine was shot to death in my work site at a child care center in front of 20 three year old children. I did not understand how this particular woman, who clearly had psychiatric issues, was able to obtain a gun and pursue my employee and kill her.
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Gun violence effects every community. It effects every American. 3,000 people were killed on 9/11. We actually have ten times that amount of people killed every year due to gun violence, and very few people are willing to talk about it.
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"I live in Philadelphia now, but I grew up in Johnstown, PA. My sister was killed. Someone decided that her life wasn't important. I'm taking a stand against gun violence because I know what it does to a family. My church is taking a stand against gun violence. 70% of my church members have been impacted by gun violence."
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"I lost my youngest son to gun violence. He was home from college for the first time and went to a party. He was gunned down by a minor who shouldn't have a gun. So we work to do all we can to eradicate, reduce, and stop violence in this country."
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"For two days I watched helplessly in fear as his life slipped away. Ryan inspires me everyday to fight to keep illegal handguns off our streets. My baby was silenced. But I wont be. And I will tell Ryan's story over and over again until something is done."
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"Since 1995 when I lost my best friend to gun violence here in Chester Pennsylvania, I've lost several family, friends, individuals I've known to senseless violence. I encourage you to join CeaseFirePA to end gun violence."
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"I'm working with the CeaseFirePA to reduce the gun violence here in Chester Pennsylvania. I've lost many family members due to gun violence. My cousin was killed in a drive by shooting in '99. Join with me, so we can stop and reduce this violence"
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"I have been shot at 13 times. One time I had my then six year old grandson with me when they opened fire. It is very important that we work together to get the illegal guns off the streets. Please stand with us."
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"My son was a good kid. He was in the wrong place at the wrong time. Gun violence is killing the young people. But it's not just the victims that feel it. The family feels it from year to year. The pain of knowing what my child could have been."
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"I want to make Pennsylvania a better place for my grandchildren. There are too many cases of innocent children being gunned down on the streets of Pennsylvania. I want to do all I can to stop that."
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"I'm joining forces with CeaseFirePA to stop gun violence in my community because I love myself, I love my children, and I love my community. I want everybody to have a chance to grow up and live up to their potential."
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"I've seen children as young as three years old fall victims of gun violence. We saw in a 21 hour period, six victims of gun violence. We realized we couldn't just watch TV or go online and update Facebook and Twitter about it. We had to go into our community and do something."
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"Every time I turn on the television and see the news its always the same thing about young, black men in particular, who are victims of gun violence. It's sickening. An entire generation is being eliminated because of foolishness and gun violence."
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"I feel like we're losing entire generations of young men. They can be anyone from the President to a fry cook at McDonald's, and I wouldn't care as long as they're not killing each other."
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"I'm taking a stand against gun violence because my uncle was shot in the head. Gun violence is a terrible thing that effects almost everybody. I know many people affected by gun violence. Will you join me in taking a stand against gun violence."
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"It doesn't matter who you are and where you are a gun can come out from anywhere and take you down. It's ridiculous the world we live into today where we are fearful when we walk out onto the streets. We must take a stand."
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"I'm taking a stance against gun violence. I'm taking a proactive stance because I don't know anyone that has been effected by gun violence, and I don't want to know anybody that has been effected by gun violence. I don't want to see that."
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"My son was murdered April 7, 2010 here in Lancaster City. I'm making this pitch to anybody whose listening. Hear my voice. See my face. Please get the guns off the streets. There's too many murders, too many robberies. Stop another family from feeling the way I felt. Stop another family from having to make funeral arrangements."
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"I am an advocate to get the illegal guns off the street because I have a personal friend who is paralyzed from the waist down from gun violence. Join me in this fight against gun violence."
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"My friend was murdered in 2004 in Chester on the steps of a church. Her daughter was murdered in 1999. I have decided to take a stance against gun violence, and I'm asking you to do the same. We must get the guns off the street."
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"I'm a minister at the Brightside Baptist Church in Lancaster. Unfortunately, I'm also a parent of a murder victim. Our son was gunned down two months ago. I've been ministering to families of victims of violence for years. I really thought I knew what they were going through. I had no clue. When it happens to you and your family, it's devastating."
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"Very often people want to talk in concepts about the Second Amendment, which I understand. But on the other hand we dont talk about concepts at the local level. We talk about the funeral of a 7 year old girl caught between the crossfire of two gangs. We talk about the 16 year old boy on his way home from work who was shot and killed. We have to take steps to make sure that guns dont fall into the wrong hands."
Click to WatchClick here to share your own testimony about why you are taking a stand against gun violence.
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