Last week, my friend Mark Barden and I traveled from Newtown, Connecticut, to Seattle, Washington, to talk to voters about the importance of passing Initiative 594.

Why? Because we understand—tragically, more than most—the urgent need to help keep families and communities safe from gun violence.

Mark and I both lost children—my 6-year-old son Dylan, and Mark’s 7-year-old son Daniel—in the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting nearly two years ago. Since our sons, 18 of their first grade classmates, and six brave educators were killed at Sandy Hook Elementary, there have been 87 school shootings. That’s nearly one school shooting every week.

The most recent tragedy came just last week in Marysville. It took the lives of three innocent high school students and put two more in the hospital, struggling to survive. Like every instance of gun violence, last week’s left families and a whole community in shock and despair, searching for answers. Our hearts go out to everyone in Marysville.

These terrible attacks are stark reminders of just how much work still needs to be done to keep communities and kids safe from gun violence.

That’s why I was eager to lend my voice and perspective to passing Initiative 594.

Background checks are proven to help keep guns out of the hands of criminals, domestic abusers, and other dangerous people. Since 1998, background checks have blocked gun sales to more than 40,000 prohibited purchasers in Washington—including over 6,000 potential sales to domestic abusers and over 24,000 potential sales to felons. But in Washington, only guns bought from licensed dealers are subject to background checks, leaving a loophole that makes it easy for criminals to buy guns online, at gun shows, or even from a stranger on the street with no questions asked.

Criminals use this loophole to get guns and commit terrible crimes.

Initiative 594 closes the loophole by applying the existing system of background checks to all sales so that everyone goes through the same background check. We know in states that have closed the loophole, 38 percent fewer women are shot to death by their intimate partners and 39 percent fewer law enforcement officers are murdered with handguns.

People have asked me what impact Initiative 594 would have had on the shootings at Sandy Hook and Marysville. The truth is, this question misses the point. Gun violence devastates lives and communities in Washington State every day, and Washingtonians—like the rest of our country—are unwilling to continue to refuse to act. Initiative 594 is part of the solution to help reduce violence, and a “yes” vote will help keep guns from getting into the hands of dangerous people and will save lives.

During our time in Washington, Mark and I were welcomed by so many wonderful people. Many of them had also had their lives touched by gun violence. We shared our stories and our tears. There’s a unique bond between families who are victims of gun violence—a sad but warm community. I just wish we weren’t constantly adding new members.

On Tuesday, Washington voters can help. Please make your voice heard. Please get your families and friends to the polls. And please vote yes on Initiative 594.