The following article is brought to you by our friends InProgress from the Center for American Progress.
It’s been an emotional week for many of us.
On Monday, I was devastated by the news of a school shooting at Michigan State University (MSU) that left three students dead, and five others injured. On Valentine’s Day, my heart was in Florida with Fred Guttenberg as he drove to the cemetery to visit his daughter Jaime who was killed in Parkland five years ago.
The following day, my thoughts were in Buffalo, New York, with former Fire Commissioner Garnell Whitfield Jr. as he gave a victim impact statement at the sentencing of the Tops grocery store gunman. And every day since the killing of Tyre Nichols at the hands of Memphis police, I have been trying to find a way to turn pain into action, because too many lives depend on it.
Whether it’s the double-digit body count of the latest hate-fueled mass shooting or the fact that America added yet another name to its long list of people killed by police for the simple act of driving while Black, in these moments it is tempting to lose hope and want to give up the fight for safe and just communities. When my heart is heavy under the weight of the daily violence and injustice in communities across our country, I think about the survivors who bravely share their stories and lead the fight for a safer and more just world.
While watching the State of the Union, Americans witnessed the boundless bravery and resolve of the many families, in attendance as guests of members of the Congressional Black Caucus, who lost loved ones at the hands of police. Rather than feel helpless after the MSU shooting, the Center for American Progress continued working on a follow-up to our Michigan gun violence report to support our partners at Engage Michigan leading the fight for stronger state gun laws.
I had the honor of meeting Garnell at CAP’s 8th Annual Gun Violence Prevention Summit last December and am inspired by his efforts to raise awareness around white supremacy and domestic terrorism after the murder of his mother Ruth. I challenge you to watch our short video of Fred Guttenberg explaining why he fights for stronger gun laws in Jaime’s memory and not feel compelled to join the fight.
The past two weeks have been dominated by discussions around policing and gun violence, but there’s more to creating safe communities than restricting gun access and continuing our futile attempts to arrest and incarcerate our way to less crime.
We have an opportunity to reimagine community safety and justice in ways that address the root causes of crime, improve economic mobility and security, advance racial equity, strengthen public health, and enhance democratic participation.
We must move past the divisive political discourse and tell policymakers to ignore the calls to implement regressive “tough on crime” policies that don’t work and further entrench systemic racism. Instead, the nation needs investments in the things that create lasting safety in communities across the country: better schools, more affordable housing, accessible health care, and better jobs.
In Solidarity,
Nick Wilson | Senior Direction, Gun Violence Prevention
To learn more about InProgress from the Center for American Progress visit their website at https://www.americanprogress.org
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