Rep. Kelly Speaks From the House of Representative Sit-In for Gun Control

Interview

By Melissa Harris-Perry

Even before Orlando, you gave a very impassioned speech in Chicago about gun violence. Part of what you said is "moments of silence in Congress just aren't going to cut it any more." Will this sit-in be part of what might finally move Congress to action?

I truly hope so. So far this year, more than 300 people have been killed by gun violence in Chicago, with nearly 1800 injured. That's just since the beginning of this year. In one city. Many other cities share a similar sorrow. We can no longer ignore the fact that America is in the grips of a gun violence epidemic. We can no longer hide behind hollow gestures like moments of silence to assuage Congress' guilt for failing to act on commonsense gun legislation to save lives. That's why I took a seat during the moment of silence for San Bernardino last year and haven't stood since. That small protest is what led to the historic sit-in you're seeing today as more Members joined me in demanding that Congress do something real about gun violence. I believe in honoring gun violence victims and their families through action. I'm sitting-in for them.

Earlier today, one of my students sent me a message and told me she was glued to C-Span. She said she didn't know whether she should feel proud that her lawmakers were being bold or depressed that her lawmakers were forced to take the same kinds of civil disobedience actions she and her friends feel they have to take. She asked me, "is government completely broken?" Do you have an answer for her?

Our government isn't broken, but it's a little bent. It doesn't always function in the best interests of the American people. But there are people in Congress who are in it for the right reasons, to represent her and her friends and all Americans who believe that their government should work for them, not against them, that it should put people above politics. Those are the people sitting-in on the House floor today. Those are the people who make me proud to be a Member of this body. And we need more like them. So I would encourage her and her friends to vote and to get their circles to vote and so on until we have more Members of purpose so we can achieve real progress for the American people.

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