This week, the nation celebrated the birthday of Martin Luther King, Jr. and was uplifted by the amazing recovery of my colleague Rep. Gabrielle Giffords, who as you probably know was one of the 19 people shot in a tragic mass shooting in Tucson, Arizona on Jan. 8.

This latest mass shooting had eerie similarities to the one that took the life of my husband and injured my son in 1993 – a crazed gunman, powerful military-style weaponry and a high number of casualties. But as heinous as this crime was, and as reckless the policies and failures of government that allowed this crime to happen are, it also brought out the best in Americans across the nation.

Suddenly, and more sincerely than ever, Americans from across divides are talking about the need for civility and understanding, and denouncing violence. Dr. King would be so proud, as I’m sure my colleague Gabby is and as I know I am. We have rallied together for the victims in Tucson, and are looking for ways to stop something like this from happening again.

We share this goal, but certainly we don’t all agree on how to achieve it. I for one have proposed that we go back to one aspect of the federal assault weapons ban that was in place in our nation until 2004.

This week in Washington, DC I was joined by many fellow anti-violence advocates to introduce a bill that bans the non-law-enforcement civilian sale or transfer of high-capacity ammunition magazines. Such a device allowed the shooter in Tucson to fire over 30 bullets before having to reload, at which point he was stopped by a bystander. It is my firm belief that if the shooter had less bullets loaded in his gun, then we would have less people killed or wounded on that tragic day. 

My bill has gotten an outpouring of backing, with supportive editorials by newspapers across the country. Television figures like Rachel Maddow and Lawrence O’Donnell have also spoken favorably about my simple, commonsense proposal. Even conservative gun advocates like second amendment rights attorney Robert Levy and Vice President Dick Cheney have said we should talk about the possibility of banning high-capacity magazines.

Still, curbing gun violence through legislation is not an easy task and I need your help. Write to your local newspaper, talk to your friends and family and share links on your online social networks.

Whether you agree with my bill or not, I think we can agree that something must be done to avert tragedies like the shooting in Arizona. In honor of Dr. King’s legacy, in honor of the victims in Tucson, and in honor of the victims of violence everywhere throughout history, please join me in an open and respectful discussion on how we can make this country safer. Follow me on Twitter and Facebook to keep the conversation going and be sure to visit my website for updates.

As your representative in the United States Congress, it is my privilege and honor to serve you. Thank you very much, and God bless.