To the editor:

Virginians have suffered tremendously from gun violence for too long. From the mass shootings at Virginia Tech to the recent tragedy in Virginia Beach to everyday gun violence in the seven cities of Hampton Roads, we are obviously all threatened.

The Virginia legislature has taken no real action to make me feel any safer over the last 20 years. We all have an opportunity in the upcoming elections to put representatives in Richmond who will do more than offer prayers and thoughts to victims of gun violence — representatives who will take action to reduce the chance that you or I will someday be in the wrong place at the wrong time when all we did was go to school, or work, or church, or to the store for groceries.

We have a clear choice in the 76th District. Our current representative, Chris Jones, fails to even address the subject of gun violence in the issues section of his website! I find that totally unacceptable. His opponent, Clinton Jenkins, makes it clear that he favors common-sense measures like universal background checks, red flag laws and limits on assault-style weapons.

I’m not going to pass up my chance to do more than pray and hope.

Clay Ames

Suffolk