Source: Jessica Hill / AP
Nelba Marquez-Greene is tired of hearing the same story, especially one she is all too familiar with.
Marquez-Greene’s daughter, Ana, was tragically gunned down in the Sandy Hook shooting in 2012. In a heartfelt note posted on Facebook, Marquez-Greene apologized to the victims from the mass shooting in Florida, sharing how sorry she is that her tragedy wasn’t enough to prevent another one from happening.
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“I am so, so sorry. I am sorry that our tragedy here in Sandy Hook wasn’t enough to save your loved ones,” Marquez-Greene wrote in the note. “I tried, and I won’t stop trying.”
Marquez-Greene hopes that this time it will make a difference.
“I am waiting for the church to be as outraged about gun violence as much as we seem to be about who pees where in a Target bathroom,” Marquez-Greene shared.
She continued to share that while a “tough road” lies ahead, their family members will not be forgotten.
“I don’t know what to tell my son,” Marquez-Greene said. “But know I will commit to learning about each and every one of your loved ones. And we will commit as a family to learning about their lives and the legacies you build in their memory.”
The mother went on hoping to lend a bit of advice to the families telling them that it is not their fault.
“Don’t you dare even listen to even ONE person who may insinuate that somehow this is your loved one’s fault because they were gay or any other reason. Nor is it God’s wrath,” she explained. “They did that to us on Sandy Hook, too. And it broke my heart. You will receive love from a million places. Embrace it. Take good care of yourself. This will be a forever journey. Some ugly will come your way too. Delete. Ignore. Let it go.”
She also recommended to “dear friends with generous hearts” to wait a while before donating money to the victims families, until they are certain that it will be received.
“America’s mass shootings should not be the United Way’s pay day or a specific town’s funding source to build a senior center. Millions were poured in to Sandy Hook. Very little actually reached us. And victims of gun violence will have a lifetime of need,” she said. “Before you give — ask where your dollars will go. Specify that you want it to go to victim families.”
Marquez-Greene’s daughter Ana was one of the 20 children and six adults killed during the mass shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newton, Connecticut on December 14, 2012. Read Marquez-Greene’s full letter below.
