Lecrae’s signature sits among nearly 200
John Hancocks by top artists and
executives in Billboard’s new open letter to
Congress, inspired by this month’s Orlando
shootings.
“Like the rest of the country and the world,
Billboard editors were horrified by the mass
killing at Orlando’s Pulse nightclub on June
12, and by the murder of singer Christina
Grimmie the night before. Both tragedies
occurred where musicians and music fans gathered. And so faced with another gun-
related tragedy, the staff organized this
special ‘Open Letter to Congress’ cover of
Billboard,” the magazine’s editors wrote.
This open letter is below. Others who signed
include Paul McCartney, Russell Simmons,
Lady Gaga, Macklemore, Katy Perry, Pusha T
and Selena Gomez.
AN OPEN LETTER TO
CONGRESS:
STOP GUN VIOLENCE NOW
As leading artists and executives in the
music industry, we are adding our voices to
the chorus of Americans demanding
change.
Music always has been celebrated
communally, on dancefloors and at concert
halls. But this life-affirming ritual, like so
many other daily experiences—going to
school or church or work—now is
threatened, because of gun violence in this country.
The one thing that connects the recent
tragedies in Orlando is that it is far too easy
for dangerous people to get their hands on
guns.
We call on Congress to do more to prevent
the gun violence that kills more than 90
Americans every day and injures hundreds
more, including:
Require a background check for every gun sale
Block suspected terrorists from buying guns
Billboard and the undersigned implore you
—the people who are elected to represent
us—to close the deadly loopholes that put
the lives of so many music fans, and all of
us, at risk.
Sincerely,
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