On June 15, Sen. Chris Murphy of Connecticut engaged in a marathon filibuster to press the issue of gun safety. His goal? To bring gun control measures to a vote.
By night's end, Murphy had won assurances from the Republican leadership that they'd allow his amendments to come up for a floor vote. While that doesn't seem like much, it's actually some pretty monumental progress when it comes to gun control — a true "third rail" issue if there is one in Washington.
Sen. Chris Murphy (D-Connecticut) speaks to reporters on June 15, 2016, after a nearly 15-hour filibuster on the Senate floor in order to force a vote on gun control. Photo by Pete Marovich/Getty Images.
Supporters of Murphy's measures have been using social media to share a simple message in the wake of the June 12 shooting in Orlando: #DisarmHate.
The terrorist attack on LGBT clubgoers was carried out with a legally purchased assault-style rifle. The attacker, Omar Mateen, was at one point on the terrorist watch list. Though he was removed following an FBI investigation, he would have still been allowed to purchase the weapon that ended 49 lives even had he remained listed.
That's one of the legal loopholes Murphy and others want addressed; the other is the question of the "gun show loophole."
The hashtag #DisarmHate got a jump start when the group Everytown for Gun Safety launched a coordinated online push.
They, of course, had their own resources to share.
Celebrities, such as Britney Spears, Kristen Bell, and others, joined in.
And then there were the lawmakers who voiced their public support for the amendments.
While it's doubtful these amendments will make it through the legislative hurdles necessary to become law, it's important not to give up.
In addition to championing this vote, Sen. Murphy shared a list of seven things you can do to help put an end to gun violence.
And while the list is filled with suggestions like "call your Senators," "talk to your friends," and "get involved with a gun violence prevention group," it's the final point that's most important: Don't give up. Because while it's easy to become cynical about what seem like Sisyphean efforts to reduce gun violence, we can't change the world with apathy.
And, regardless of how the votes go, it doesn't mean we should give up hope for a better tomorrow.
Instead, those of us who don't want to see another Orlando will simply have to wake up and start fighting anew. Will we, as society, eventually fulfill the goal of disarming hate? One can hope.