Tag Archives: anti gun violence

Again

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Tally #1

On May 24, 2022, an 18-year-old fatally shot nineteen children and two teachers and wounded seventeen others at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas. The children were in the fourth grade. The children were watching a movie when the killer came into their classroom with an assault rifle, and killed them.

How do the people who oppose banning the sale/ownership of assault weapons stay in power? They stay in power because they are elected to represent the people of their state. They are not hiding their position on gun control. These representatives state very bluntly that they support the sale/ownership of weapons of war. We, as Americans, are letting this happen over and over again.

If your state has a government official who is pro assault weapons, who is against gun control on any level, then you, as a citizen of that state, must make your voice heard.

Hear in your head the children in that forth grade classroom screaming and crying. See in your mind’s eye the carnage that the assault rifle caused to those small bodies.

The shooting at the Robb Elementary School does not only belong to Texas. That shooting and all the shootings, belong to every American. We as citizens of America, must make the change happen.

If He Only Was Not Carrying a Gun

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On Valentine’s Day 2022, the Alvarez family were on their way to a special family dinner in Huston, Texas. Armando Alvarez made a stop at a drive-thru ATM. As he waited in line a robbery took place. There was gun fire and Armando told his family to duck down in the car. Nine-year-old Arlene Alvarez was sitting in the backseat of her parents’ car wearing headphones and she did not hear the warning. Arlene was shot in the head and killed.

This tragedy happened because Tony Earls was robbed $20 dollars at the ATM. He was carrying a gun so he pulled out his gun and randomly started shooting. His gun fire struck Arlene and killed her.

If Tony Earls had not been carrying a gun on that Valentine’s Day, Arlene Alvarez would be alive.

Seventy two million people report as owning guns in the USA.

Only In America

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On November 30, 2021, students left home to go to Oxford High School in Oxford, Michigan, thinking it was going to be a normal school day. But it was not a normal school day. At about 12:51 p.m.,15-year-old Ethan Crumbley left a boy’s bathroom with the gun his father bought four days earlier. He fired at students in the hallway and he killed four schoolmates and wounded six other students and one teacher. The four students who did not come home to their families because they were shot dead at school by a peer, are 16-year-old Tate Myre, 14-year-old Hana St. Juliana, 17-year-old Madisyn Baldwin and 17-year-old Justin Shilling.

There have been at least 29 school shootings in 2021. Eight children have been killed in shootings in schools this year and 48 have been injured. America holds the world record for school shootings.

The gun culture is alive and well in America, while Tate Myre, Hana St. Juliana, Madisyn Baldwin and Justin Shilling are dead.

“Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness” is stated in the United States Declaration of Independence. A gun’s only purpose is to kill and take away “Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness”. Guns take away these rights that America is founded on.

Delmonte Johnson Was Making a Difference

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Reduced to a Hash Mark

On September 5, 2018, Delmonte Johnson was 19 years old.  As a young man who lived in Chicago on the South Side, he knew the tragedy that gun violence brings to families and to community. Delmonte wanted to make a difference. He was an active anti gun violence advocate. He was a volunteer with GoodKids MadCity. He spearheaded fundraising to give children a chance to go to camp. He was an activist and he was shot and killed on the sidewalk of a South Side street in Chicago. The deadly bullets came from a car. The car sped away leaving Delmonte a new statistic in the toll gun violence takes on our young people across America. But he is not a hash mark, he was a brother and a son. He was a bright light. We, as part of the American community, must keep his light shinning and continue his work to stop gun violence.

Shame on America-Another School Shooting

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spilling blood

5/18/18 is the day of another school shooting. Eight students and two teachers did not return home from Santa Fe High School because they were shot dead while at school. I ask America what are we going to do about the killing of our youth. Youth are gunned down in schools and on our city streets. The youth of America is the future of America. We adults are failing our youth by not making strict laws, by not rethinking the #2A. When will we start to stop the blood shed? No child should fear being shot- this is America. And shame on us – this is the America where children fear being shot.

Too Many Hash Marks

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flynn_1 still counting 50

The second weekend in June 2016 was horrible. It was horrible because on June 10, 2016, Christina Grimmie was shot to death. It was horrible because on June 11, 2016, 49 people at the Pulse Club were shot to death. Now the number of victims from gun violence will include these deaths. The new total will include the death of these 50 people. These people who died will become hash marks in the never ending death count from gun violence. But these people are not hash marks they were sisters, brothers, mothers, fathers, sons and daughters. Some were short, some were tall, some were serious some were carefree, some were men some were women. We the people of America must see each death from gun violence as individuals, as our brothers and our sisters. Only then can we see that we the people of America must make changes in our gun laws. We the people must have the courage to do the right thing. Change is slow but change only happens when there is a start. The start must happen. These victims are not hash marks, they were members of our community.

Chicago

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Summer is a wonderful time of the year. The sun shines, children are out of school and families spend time together. Even in a hot city summer can be joyous. Children play on the sidewalks and parents sit on the stoops talking.

But it is summer 2016 and in Chicago parents will keep children inside. In Chicago communities are filled with fear. In Chicago gun violence is up 50%.

In Chicago on May 27, 2016 the residents and community leaders rallied together to take back the streets, to make their communities safe. On May 28, 2016, the police reported, 19 people had been shot, four shot dead, including a 15-year-old girl.

The people who make up the city of Chicago are scared of summer. They are scared to walk on the sidewalks; they are scared to let their children play in the sunshine.

Does the sun shine is Chicago or only produce a glare that shields the violence?

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Tally-keeping count

 

Again and Again and Again and Again……….

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FlynnPamela_06On June 17, 2015, nine people were shot and killed in the Emanuel AME Church, Charleston, South Carolina. The victims were part of a bible study group. The victims were peaceful citizens. The victims were sons, daughters, brothers, sisters, fathers, mothers, grandfathers, grandmothers, aunts, uncles and friends. Hate and violence should have no place in America. Is our collective memory so short that we forget the pain from each of the mass shootings? Do we just add nine more hash marks to the tally? Too many killings-too much hate-too much pain.

The After

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After is defined as during the period of time following an event. Today is the after of the violence of May 23, 2014, in the college town of Isla Vista, California. Today and tomorrow are the after of a killing spree that left six dead and thirteen hurt. Everyday will be the after for the family and friends of the six people killed. Everyday will be the after for the thirteen who suffered injuries. The after for these victims should have been happy events-celebrations, but instead the after is filled with loss. Why is our world filled with so many tragic afters?

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Fear of Gun Violence at School

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spilling bloodCompulsory education is law in every state in America. The intention was and is, to give our children the best chance to have a full and happy life. On December 13, 2013, Claire Davis went to school. She was in the hallway of The Arapahoe High School at 12:33 and she was shot. She died on December 21, 2013 from her injuries.

Education is thought to be the key to success and happiness and school was to be a sanctuary for learning. Learning is about the future. Learning is to take one beyond. Claire went to school to learn but she was shot in her school. Claire’s future was wiped out by a mentally imbalanced person with a gun.

America is left with a lesson to be learned from the killing of Claire. There was the same lesson to be learned from  the Sandy Hook Elementary School killings on December. 14, 2012. The lesson is not an abstract concept. It is that guns, in the hands of the mentally imbalanced, are killing our youth. Guns in the hands of the mentally imbalanced are making our schools places where our young are fearful of violence. It is compulsory that America learns this lesson.

 
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