We chose to #RefuseToDoNothing because the alternative was hopelessness, and because El Pasoans, Juarenses, Texans, Daytonians, Ohioans, and our fellow Americans deserve a nationwide community that’s willing to stand with them and work for them in their darkest hour.

What followed was a week of showing up for our community — being there for them and for one another was our most important job, and this week of action gave us an option we didn’t know we had: instead of sitting, waiting, worrying, and stewing in the wake of what happened, we laughed, cried, listened, and showed up.

Sal and Beto For NH Team at Latino-American Festival

On Sunday, our team joined the Latino-American Festival of Nashua, organized by a local parish to bring together the Latinx community of the Granite State toward a celebration of the culture of all of the Americas. As a member of this community, it was surreal that this festival followed the deadliest attack against the Latinx community in modern American history. Amidst our grief and apprehensions, we were swept up in the beautiful expression of the Latinx community in New Hampshire, cracking jokes with other attendees, being carried away by the music, and eating really, really good food.

A Sign from the Protest Urging Governor Sununu to Sign Three Gun Reform Bills

It was in this spirit that we chose to #RefuseToDoNothing by joining gun reform advocates on Monday in Concord to urge Governor Sununu to sign three gun reform bills into law. If Sunday was a celebration of life in the face of tragedy, then Monday refueled our commitment to fighting for progress and it was clear that the community stood with us. The crowd spanned all ages and spilled over into the entryway — the conscience of Granite Staters and so many more around the country had been shaken awake by the weekend’s tragedy.

Beto for NH Team at an American Red Cross Blood Drive

Inspired by the blood drives of the generous communities of El Paso and Dayton, and with Beto himself giving blood, we showed up on Wednesday afternoon at the Manchester Police Station, refusing to do nothing by giving blood in the midst of a national shortage.

Because the pain of these events isn’t isolated to the victims and their families, but is a pain felt by all Americans, we refused to do nothing by coming together as one Beto for New Hampshire team to assemble care packages that we sent along to the people of El Paso and Dayton, letting them know that when they receive packages with Granite State zip codes, they know America as a nation feels their pain and stands with them.

And because hate was so central to the events of El Paso and Dayton, we refused to do nothing by giving our business to those businesses run by immigrants, like Consuelo’s, or El Rincon, or Begy’s Taqueria in Manchester, in order to highlight how these places only make New Hampshire a better place to live.

Beto for NH Team at ICE Vigil in Manchester

We #RefuseToDoNothing by showing up at ICE vigils held across the state, by joining an Immigration Forum hosted by the ACLU of New Hampshire, and by joining with people across the Seacoast to remember the lives of those lost over the weekend with the community at the “Love, Not Hate” candlelight vigil in Portsmouth’s Market Square. The people we’ve met this week have given us strength, encouragement, love, support, and most importantly, faith that our action will mean something.