It was shortly after New Year's Day when Ann Braden made a life-altering decision.
On the way home from a pro-gun-control rally in Washington, D.C., in late January, she stopped at her mother's house in Newtown, Conn., the site of the mass shooting by a lone gunman of 20 children and six teachers last December.
While visiting, the 33-year-old noticed 26 handmade stars adorning the town's street lamps: one for each victim. She recalled how rally attendees were challenged to “do one thing every day” to support passage of stricter gun laws.
Looking at the stars, Braden realized simply attending a rally was not enough: that the families of the victims would not have the luxury of just rallying and forgetting.