Remember National Gun Violence Awareness Day
In 2023, at least 40,167 people died from gun violence. Injuries from guns totaled 36,357. More than 120 people a day are killed by guns in the United States. Every nine minutes at least one gun is stolen from a vehicle. A reported 6,192 children and teenagers were shot in 2023 with more than 1,600 of those being fatal. Beginning in 2020, firearms became the leading cause of death among children.
Also, in 2023, there were a recorded 656 mass shootings, a shooting incident in which four or more people are shot. Over one-half of gun deaths in the United States are the result of suicide.
I ask myself why we live in a country whose annual total of deaths and injuries due to guns consistently approach or exceed the total number of U. S. soldiers killed (58,220) during America’s eight-year intervention in the Vietnam War.
The Bipartisan Safer Communities Act that became law in 2022 made available millions of dollars for community-based organizations to help reduce gun violence.
For example, Michigan and Minnesota expanded background checks to cover most private gun sales and these states also passed Extreme Risk Protection Order Laws, commonly referred to as Red Flag Laws.
These measures are designed to allow individuals to petition courts for an order to be issued to temporarily take guns away from individuals who might pose a danger to themselves or others.
The staggering numbers of injuries and deaths as noted above is what gives rise to the upcoming National Gun Violence Awareness Day being held this year on Friday. Individuals who want to recognize the day are encouraged to wear orange.
A new generation of Americans who seem to be saying enough is enough is emerging. For example, Maxwell Frost, the youngest member of Congress, elected in 2022, was a survivor of the Parkland, Fla., shooting that killed 17 on Feb. 14, 2018.
He and others helped organize the March for Our Lives that took place in Washington, D.C., shortly after that shooting. Young people voiced their outrage and protested against the lack of action on the part of Congress to reduce gun violence.
Many credit their advocacy, courage and determination for the passage of the BCSA, the most significant piece of national legislation on gun safety in over 30 years.
Most moving to me is the story of two parents whose son did not survive the shooting in Parkland. David Hogg, another survivor of the Parkland shooting, reflected on these parents in an interview recently on National Public Radio. Joaquin Oliver, their son, was killed after his family had come to the United States fleeing the violence in their home country of Venezuela. Imagine, fleeing your home country to protect your family only to see your child killed at school — an environment that is supposed to be safe. Yet, Joaquin’s parents see their son’s death as part of the legacy that is inspiring a new generation of gun-safety advocates.
So, let’s consider Friday both a time of mourning and inspiration knowing that even those who have been directly impacted by senseless gun violence can still work for change. I will be wearing my orange shirt in a spirit of thanks to those courageous parents who remain hopeful through devastating loss. Let this day also serve as a reminder that we have a long way to go in our struggle to find common ground in the national debate over guns.