YOU! HAVE THE POWER | Dr. Ellen Brown

We can fight back against gun violence

BY DR. ELLEN BROWN

“Greatest number of gun violence homicides since 2014.”

“Guns don’t kill, people kill”

Only a dozen of the 50 states require permits to purchase guns (safeatlast.co)

Over 500 people die from gun violence per day in the U.S. (safeatlast.co)

As of May 25, 2022, more than 17,000 people, including 650 children, have been shot and killed in the US (news.yahoo.com)

A total of 692 mass shootings in 2021 (CNN)

As of June 8, 2022, over 250 mass shootings reported this year, according to the Washington Post. The New York Post reported on May 26 that guns are the leading cause of death for American children, according to the Centers for Disease Control.

Two of the nation’s governors have formed a task force to address the mass shootings. Led by New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy and Arkansas Governor Asa Hutchinson, they are selecting governors around the country to join them in addressing this growing concern.

Gun violence in America does not discriminate. Its victims range from children to the elderly — across all ethnicities. A report from Newtown Action Alliance listed gun violence as a public health crisis, citing nearly 45,000 Americans killed in 2021, the highest in decades.

With gun violence dominating the prime-time news since the beginning of 2022, Americans are calling for answers. However, at the top of the hierarchy there are powerful gun lobbies that support each of the positions on guns. In this country, there are resources that offer ways to reevaluate the beliefs we have. Very few of my conversations these days with friends and family — as well as random encounters with strangers — go on without a lane switch to the topics dominating the daily news: violence, injustice, racism, intolerance, hatred, and entitlement exhibit what is behind the ugly state of the America in which we live.

But wait, there is hope! Pray. Read. Watch. Listen. Attend. Support. Question. Speak up.

When these are all checked off, remember: your vote counts! Vote for the laws and people who hear your voice. Now is not the time to sit back and wait to see what happens.

Dr. Ellen Brown enjoys writing on political topics that encourage and invite discussion leading to action. She is a retired university educator and dean and can be reached at ebrown.nci@gmail.com