Legislatively Speaking
By Senator, Lena C. Taylor
Lena C. Taylor
Sadly violence is not a new issue for our community. Almost every day we receive word of yet another shooting somewhere in the city.
The violence is taking is literally killing our babies, stories like that of Sierra Guyton, Laylah Petersen, and Bill Thao the 13 month old boy shot and killed earlier this week are heartbreaking.
No child should have to grow up in a world where they cannot feel safe in their own neighborhood.
Milwaukee has become a war zone.
A war zone where too many suffer from mental illness and PTSD without necessary counseling or treatment.
A place where unemployment is the norm and 85% of our children cannot read at grade level.
Guns are falling into the hands of those who lack the necessary training and reasoning to be responsible owners.
And these senseless and reckless shootings and acts of violence only perpetuate the problem.
This is not normal.
This cannot become the status quo. Rounding up all the firearms or instituting harsher penalties is not going to solve the problem.
Instead we need to go on the offensive, stopping the problem at the source.
Without addressing mental illness, pervasive joblessness, a crumbling education system, and the lack of proper firearm training and licensing, our city will continue to fall into despair.
For too long now our mothers, fathers, brothers and sisters, have lived in the shadow of gun violence.
We need to take on the responsibility as a community to be our ‘brother’s keepers.’
To help guide the youth and demand a standard of conduct where there is a zero tolerance policy for these acts that are cutting our community down.
As the New Year approaches one of the best things we can do is decide to get involved.
We must get involved in the education of our children by showing up and participating in school board and parent-teacher organization meetings.
We must get involved in the happening of our community by becoming active in our churches, joining a civic engagement organization, and showing up to vote in EVERY election.
Nothing changes if nothing changes. So I’m challenging you to be a more actively engaged member of he community in 2015, our community’s future is riding on your decision.