Vote for Tom

Dear friends,

Today marks two years since Tom was murdered while driving home from his job as a social worker in Washington, DC. The past twenty-four months have been a trauma-induced roller coaster, filled with profound sadness and challenging times. But while broken, we have made it this far, and had our spirits lifted, because of the love and support from each of you.  Together, we hope to continue on the journey of healing for ourselves and for our community. We aim to be stronger and as full of life as Tom was through all his days. We will work to find hope and to build a world free from the gun violence that takes far too many lives, and robbed us of our beloved Tom.

We’re really sorry that we can’t gather in person this year. There are so many messages and stories we’d like to share. Yet while the pandemic might stifle our collective voices, we must not let it put a halt to our actions.   

Sadly, while Covid limits our interactions, it does not diminish daily gun violence in cities all across America. During the pandemic, gun purchases have increased dramatically, putting even more people at risk of suicide, domestic violence, and shootings fueled by hopelessness and hatred. As research from Everytown for Gun Safety in America shows, the  same communities that have suffered through years of failed policies and systemic racism are at even higher risk of both coronavirus and gun violence. Gun Violence and COVID-19 

Close to home, this year DC has already seen more homicides than in all of 2018, and just three fewer than in the decade-high record number seen in  2019. So far in 2020, killings are 16 percent higher than last year, a sad and horrible trajectory. And as you know, for every precious life extinguished, countless families and friends are traumatized and crushed by the ripple effect of grief and loss that gun violence brings. This cycle must come to an end, and in ten days, there’s one critical action that you can take to help us move in the right direction.  

Vote for Tom.  And for every victim of gun violence.

There are so many vital issues at stake in this election, and like each of you, Tom was engaged with many of them in his 22 years. But for us, preventing other families from suffering through the impacts of gun violence will drive our decisions and influence our actions above all else. Without a change in the White House and the Senate, gun violence in America will never be addressed. President Trump and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell have utterly failed the survivors and victims of gun violence, because they won’t do anything to upset the extreme views of the NRA. Ninety percent of Americans support background checks and other common sense gun laws, yet Mitch McConnell and the Republican Senate won’t even bring these proven and life-saving measures (already passed by the House) to the Senate floor for a vote.  

Victims of gun violence, like Tom, can no longer participate in elections. So, before you vote, we ask that you consider your ability to help end the epidemic of gun violence. Joe Biden has shown tremendous empathy for victims of gun violence and the willingness to shepherd forward common sense solutions that will save lives while protecting people’s Second Amendment rights. So if you need one more reason to vote, in the Presidential election or in each of your local races, we encourage you to Vote for Tom to elect local gun sense candidates. Find gun sense candidates in your area

Beyond voting, we encourage you to get involved in this final push in whatever way you can: reach out to your friends and neighbors, phone bank or text, deliver food and water to people waiting in line to vote, or help get people to the polls. 

We miss Tom every day. Those of you who knew him well know that he was a unique and loving human soul with a big heart and gentle disposition. During the past year, one of the things we’ve been trying to accomplish is to appreciate Tom’s finest qualities and carry them forward into the world. As you miss Tom, or someone else, think of whatever you miss most about them and share it with others. His laugh. His curiosity. His love. Take a piece of that and spread it around. Make it your own. Show kindness to another. Make a difference in someone’s life. Because just like Tom can’t vote, he also can’t share his love or ideas like he could when he walked among us. But we can. We can honor his spirit and his voice by working together to fight for change, to help victims of gun violence, end racial injustice, and create a better and more equitable future for all. 

If you want to get more involved in the movement to eliminate gun violence, and to honor Tom and other victims, I encourage you to become involved with Moms Demand Action and Everytown for Gun Safety in America. 

Text the word: HONOR to 644-33

And if you want to give, as so many of you have generously done since Tom was killed, that’s also really helpful. You can make a tax deductible gift in honor of Tom - or any other victim of gun violence - at the following link or with any of the organizations that work to end gun violence in our cities.  

Make a Gift in Honor or Memory of Tom or Someone Special

Tom’s senior thesis at the University of Vermont centered on racial injustice and the efforts to remove Angela Davis from her teaching position at UCLA. So just for Tom, I’ll end with a quote from Angela Davis that is appropriate as we head into the election and hopefully into a world free from gun violence and the many other ills that plague our society.  

“I am no longer accepting the things I cannot change.  

I am changing the things I cannot accept.”

Thank you so much for your love and support - 

Roger, Betsy and Sally Marmet