The mother of a man killed in the Orlando, Florida, shooting at Pulse nightclub in June spoke at the Democratic convention Wednesday, and her words were a devastating call for common sense gun laws.
Christine Leinonen, whose son Christopher “Drew” Leinonen was killed in the attack, fought back tears as she talked about her loss. Christopher was her only son, she said, and she told him "You can't do better than perfect."
SEE ALSO:Lin-Manuel Miranda and Jennifer Lopez collaborate on touching song for OrlandoDrawing attention to the rapid fire of many assault weapons, including the firearm used by gunman Omar Mateen in the massacre, she contrasted the time it took to kill 49 people with the time it took to honor their memory.
"The weapon that murdered my son fires thirty rounds in one minute," she said. "An Orlando city commissioner pointed out the terrible math: One minute for a gun to fire so many shots; five minutes for a bell to honor so many lives."
Tweet may have been deleted
Leinonen also asked the audience a difficult question: "Where was common sense gun reform the day my son died?"
Her final message, however, was one of hope.
"Christopher's paternal grandparents met and fell in love in a Japanese interment camp, so it was in his DNA that love always trumps hate," she said to massive applause.
Tweet may have been deleted
Not every network was covering the speech however.
Tweet may have been deleted
After Leinonen spoke, and before the relatives of people killed in the Sandy Hook, Connecticut, and Charleston, South Carolina, shootings followed her to the stage, the crowd rose as one in a standing ovation.
Tweet may have been deleted
Former Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords, who was shot in the head while meeting with constituents in Tucson, Arizona, in 2011, also took the stage with her husband, NASA astronaut Mark Kelly. They have since become vocal advocates for gun control, founding the Americans for Responsible Solutions political action committee.
"Speaking is difficult for me," she said in her remarks, embedded below. "But come January, I want to say these two words: 'Madame President.'"
Tweet may have been deleted
(责任编辑:焦點)
Sound the alarms: Simone Biles finally met Zac Efron
NYT's The Mini crossword answers for January 4
NYT's The Mini crossword answers for November 29
'A Murder at the End of the World' review: An ice
Darth Vader is back. Why do we still care?Hiddleswift finally followed each other on Instagram after 3 excruciating days
On Aug. 13, 1961, Germany began construction of the Berlin Wall, perhaps the greatest symbol of the
...[详细]'Pokémon Concierge' review: The ultimate back
In the first 30 seconds of Netflix's Pokémon Concierge, our protagonist Haru is pummeled with
...[详细]Why 'I peeled my orange today' has TikTok sobbing, explained
You'd be forgiven if you were confused by TikTokkers performatively sobbing over the phrase "I peele
...[详细]This viral iPhone 12 wedding dress pic creeped out the internet
Ah, the perils of accidentally taking an iPhone photo in the wrong mode.Over the weekend, an Instagr
...[详细]We asked linguists if Donald Trump speaks like that on purpose
Donald Trump may do a good "drunk uncle at Thanksgiving" impersonation at his rallies, but amid all
...[详细]NYT's The Mini crossword answers for December 6
The Mini is a bite-sized version of The New York Times' revered daily crossword. While the crossword
...[详细]PlayStation Network users claim they're getting banned for no reason
Better boot up your PS5 right now and make sure everything is OK.That's because a not-insignificant
...[详细]35+ best pet deals to shop on Cyber Weekend
Best early Cyber Monday pet deals:Best pet camera dealFurbo 360° Dog Camera with subscription$69
...[详细]
One of the first Apple computers ever made is currently up for auction.A rare "Celebration" Apple-1
...[详细]Best Hydro Flask deal: Score up to 49% off a Hydro Flask 24
SAVE 49%: A 24-ounce stainless steel Hydro Flask water bottle (black) with flex-straw cap is just $2
...[详细]This app is giving streaming TV news a second try

Elon Musk announced support for OpenAI firing Sam Altman. Here’s why.
