Dear Friend:

I am writing to you in the wake of the horrible tragedy that occurred on the campus of Virginia Tech earlier this week. As you may know, I serve on the Board of PAX, an exceptional nonprofit organization working with all Americans to help bring an end to gun violence against young people and families. This week’s shootings at Virginia Tech are a horrible reminder of how quickly gun violence can shatter the lives of so many people. I am committed to ending this crisis in our country, and I hope that you will take a moment to consider joining me in this effort.

As we deal with an immense tragedy like this, inevitably many of us are going to ask, "Why?" Many Americans will be looking to point fingers of blame. You'll hear parents of kids that have been lost in school shootings asking whether there is anything that can really be done to prevent such tragedies.

PAX's SPEAK UP Campaign has proven tragedies like the one at Virginia Tech can be prevented. Government studies show that in 81% of school shootings the attackers tell other students about their plans beforehand. Based on this fact, PAX has created the national 1-866-SPEAK-UP program, featuring the first and only national hotline for students to report weapon-related threats (1-866-SPEAK-UP) and a powerful national PSA campaign supported with lesson plans in thousands of schools and after-school venues. Stunningly, the hotline has received more than 20,000 calls in only five years. Countless tragedies have been prevented as a result. 1-866-SPEAK-UP works.

It's still too soon to tell whether 1-866-SPEAK-UP could have prevented the tragedy at Virginia Tech. But what is virtually certain is that it has prevented others like it. I write to you now because as our nation once again turns its fleeting attention to the issue of school shootings, we have an opportunity to be heard.

Please go to www.paxusa.org/about/index.html and take a moment to learn more about PAX and the many ways you can support its efforts. Your doing so is in the best interest of our young people and America’s future.

Sincerely,

Rosanne Cash