Community, We Have a Problem

In a report on gun violence, “A Year in Review: 2020 Gun Deaths in the U.S.,” researchers at the Johns Hopkins Center for Gun Violence Solutions analyzed CDC data from 2020 and found that gun violence was the leading cause of death among children, teens, and young adults under age 25. Firearms were also the leading cause of death for children and teens ages 1 to 19, taking the lives of 4,357 young people, they wrote. 

In the United States, too often, we are forced to deal with the awful news of another mass shooting and other senseless acts of gun violence. With a little less than a month remaining, 2022 will likely be the second-highest year for mass shootings in U.S. history, according to data compiled by the Gun Violence Archive, a nonprofit that tracks gun violence incidents across the country.

As a father with children in this age range, I am deeply concerned about these statistics.

As members of the collective U.S. community, we are all responsible for working to resolve this overwhelming crisis.

As Abraham Joshua Herschel wrote, “morally speaking, there is no limit to the concern one must feel for the suffering of human beings. Indifference to evil is worse than evil itself, and in a free society, some are guilty, but all are responsible.”

That is the call of our time – to stop talking and start doing. It is our responsibility to provide for the health and welfare of our children. It is our responsibility to act. 

Action includes calling on our elected leaders to enforce legislation. Reach out to local and state leadership, and share your story. Below is a list of resources to help you identify local representatives and senators. 

Taking action also includes holding each other accountable. We also need to have hard but necessary conversations with our children so they know how to stay vigilant. 

I want a world where I know my children are safe. I know it will take time, but as we continue the conversation, these statistics will shift in a positive direction.