Even in a time of war and economic troubles, eye-opening news stories about gun violence still continuously present themselves for our consideration. Do we let the implications of these events challenge our thinking?
#ENOUGH: Plays to End Gun Violence. Listen to community theatres around the country perform plays about gun violence written by hs students. Includes insights by Dr. Christopher Smith, MCPGV chair!
This is a moment of opportunity for Michigan’s voters who are concerned about gun violence. This is a moment to look closely at political candidates and ask tough questions about where they stand on gun policy and the need for action on the problem of gun violence. We should be motivated by the “bad” that we see in the news.
We seem to be at a moment when it can be difficult to keep up with the news. So much is happening in the wider world that it might be easy to miss notable stories specifically related to continuing efforts to address the problem of gun violence.
Encouraging people to arrive at polling places prepared to threaten or inflict lethal gun violence on voters and poll workers is one of the worst-case scenarios for any democracy.
The dawn of a new year brings published assessments of the recent past. In recent weeks, I noticed news stories about the Centers for Disease Control’s final data on gun violence in 2020. We know from news reports that the social dislocation and economic stress of the pandemic, along with fear generated by simultaneously-occurring political conflicts, were associated with a record-setting pace of gun purchases.
In Michigan, the tragic school shooting in Oxford is fresh in our minds and makes it painful to look back four weeks, let alone twelve months. Even if we push our gaze farther into the past, there is little to see that should make us feel satisfied.
How do we want children to view their time at school? Metal detectors, police officers in the hallways, and frequent “active shooter” emergency drills pose risks for students’ educational experiences. What are the consequences for learning when we constantly remind students that schools are places for feeling afraid rather than places for cultivating enthusiasm about learning?
Significant news media attention this week is directed at the oral arguments heard by the U.S. Supreme Court on Wednesday in the much-anticipated case of New York State Rifle & Pistol Association v. Bruen. The case presents a challenge to New York’s law that requires individuals to show a special need to defend themselves in order to be granted a license to carry a concealed pistol.
Significant news media attention this week is directed at the oral arguments heard by the U.S. Supreme Court on Wednesday in the much-anticipated case of New York State Rifle & Pistol Association v. Bruen. The case presents a challenge to New York’s law that requires individuals to show a special need to defend themselves in order to be granted a license to carry a concealed pistol.