Today is National Gun Violence Awareness Day, and Americans are coming together to call for an end to senseless gun violence.

The statistics on the growing problem of gun violence in the US are startling, and while efforts like universal background checks have support from the public, government action has been hard to come by.

Here in Minnesota, conservatives have successfully blocked any type of gun violence prevention legislation from moving forward. At the Federal level, President Obama – upset with inaction from a conservative Congress – took executive action on the issue.

While legislative action will likely continue to be stymied by conservatives who are beholden to the NRA and the MN Gun Owners PAC, we can join together and #wearorange to raise awareness and demand change. Together, we can work to prevent senseless gun violence, and increase gun safety.