Capitol Report
By State Representative, Leon D. Young
Leon D. Young
Earlier this week, people from all across the country joined together in observance of the second annual Gun Violence Awareness Day.
In Wisconsin, people from all backgrounds who care about ending gun violence in our state wore orange to draw attention to the #WearOrange Movement and to push for legislative action. #WearOrange and National Gun Violence Prevention Day were started by a group of Chicago teens who inspired their classmates to commemorate the life of a slain friend, Hadiya Pendleton, by wearing orange. They chose the color because hunters wear orange to announce themselves to other hunters in the woods. Hadiya – a 15-year-old high school student – marched in President Barack Obama’s 2nd inaugural parade and was tragically shot and killed in Chicago just a week later. During his tenure as president that began in 2009, Mr. Obama has had the unenviable task of addressing the nation on 12 occasions in the aftermath of a mass shooting. And, following the shooting inside the Washington Navy Yard on Sept. 16, 2013 (in the District of Columbia) that left 12 dead, the president offered this sobering account: “We can’t accept this.
As Americans bound in grief and love, we must insist here today there is nothing normal about innocent men and women being gunned down where they work.
There is nothing normal about our children being gunned down in their classrooms. There is nothing normal about children dying in our streets from stray bullets. No other advanced nation endures this kind of violence — none.
Here in America, the murder rate is three times what it is in other developed nations. The murder rate with guns is ten times what it is in other developed nations. And there is nothing inevitable about it. It comes about because of decisions we make or fail to make. And it falls upon us to make it different.” With that being said, why is gun violence so prevalent in this country?
Here are some frightening statistics to consider that provide some insights into this menacing public safety problem: • They are anywhere between 300 to 400 million handguns in this nation; one for every man, woman and child • Every year 4 million new handguns find their way into our society • 300 people are injured by guns every day in America • Over 90 of these men, women and children will die from gun violence • Wisconsin suffers nearly 500 gun deaths every year • Wisconsin children comprise over 20 of these gun deaths per year; this equates to one child’s death every two weeks Last year, I took a WAVE pledge to prevent gun violence in Wisconsin. As a former police officer and now state elected official, I fully understand and endorse the need for commonsense, gun control measures, such as universal background checks, ban on assault weapons and closing the gun show (or private sale exemption) loophole. Eradicating gun violence in our midst must be an everyday pursuit.