My sister in Christ… is this you? No one wants your crusty, musty DUSTY ass thoughts and prayers. https://t.co/tCZX7ZqgSr pic.twitter.com/tnnsGSvwKw

— Abbey Crain (@AbbeyCrain) May 25, 2022

The rage inside me right now is not healthy.

Gunmen taking the lives of people who were loved, who had hopes and dreams for their tomorrows—tomorrows they will never see.

I have two precious grandsons. This is not the first morning I have sat and worried about what kind of world we are sending them out into every day. This is, though, the last morning I will just sit and worry. Immediate action is required—not the beloved “thoughts and prayers” from our politicians, but real meaningful steps that will lead to a world where our loved ones will feel safe going to school, church, or the grocery store.

I will not sit quietly with my worry and hand wringing as I watch those with the power to do something offer their meaningless condolences and cry “now is not the time” for this discussion.

I am just a grandma living in my grandsons’ converted, just-for-me, garage apartment. From this humble place, I plan to launch a gunless revolution. Perhaps I will call it Grandmas Against Guns; GAG for short because that is what I want to do right now—gag from this disgusting sickness that is plaguing our nation.

I hear you laughing and see you rolling your eyes. What can a grandma even hope to do to face down the NRA and the politicians who support and protect them?

Thanks for asking. I am going to tell you and I hope you will join me in my fight.

1. Get out the vote.

Our voting rights are in jeopardy now by these same senators and representatives who continually vote against any kind of gun reform—even the most obvious simple steps we could take—like background checks. It is time for us grandmas and the rest of you to vote them out!

Ninety percent of the country supports background checks. We need to vote in candidates who support the will of the majority. In order to do this, we need to actively get out the vote. Check out the Instagram page #getoutthevote for ways you can participate.

2. Donate.

Your time and your money are needed to get our voices heard. We all recognize that it is the all mighty dollar and keeping the sacred capitalism going strong that makes people in power sit up and take notice. Put your hard-earned money into organizations and political campaigns that will drive our message forward.

I know these are hard times but we can all skip a couple of Starbucks lattes or that new pair of sandals to go with the 20 other pairs we already own and put that money where it can really serve us. A great place to start is with a trusted campaign like #togetherrising. And I get that in these hard times not all of us are buying coffee or shoes. We are just struggling to get food on the table and gas in our cars. Everyone has time though.

Quit scrolling on your phones or binging Netflix or, like I have been doing—just sitting with my worry and doing nothing. Find local groups in your area that are organizing protests. If you can’t find one, start your own. Write and call your representatives. Speak at city council and school board meetings. Put a sign in your yard, a bumper sticker on your car, or create a T-shirt. You can even put our new acronym—GAG—on the front of it!

3. Whatever you chose to do, don’t choose to do nothing.

There will be the usual suspects out there from both sides with their signs and their memes. Let’s get out of our comfy chairs, our comfort zones, and give them a voice they aren’t used to hearing: the angry grandma voice. Take a stand—out loud. Like so many others have said recently, the time to act was after Sandy Hook. The next time to act is now.

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