1/6/16

By: Rylee Leonard

It’s been the deadliest year in two decades, 2016, and the top statistic in Chicago shows a single disturbing trend: a surge in gun violence. 762 people were murdered in this city alone, impacting thousands of lives around the world. On New Year’s Eve, people flooded the streets of Chicago carrying nearly 800 crosses, each bearing the names of those lives lost. The alarmingly high homicide numbers, along with the multiple victims and families left behind, all cause this tragedy to be widespread across the nation, desperately in need of change.

Gun related violence is violence caused by the use of the gun or firearm, which may or may not be considered criminal. This includes committing a homicide, assault with a lethal or deadly weapon, suicide, or attempted suicide. Our society is filled with violence, typically stemming from guns, and it’s getting way too out of hand. These are just one of the daily challenges that we as a community face, because this problem or lack of safety is causing a countless number of deaths across America as a whole.

Shootings and violence is one thing that people always try to avoid, because it’s a scary thing to deal with. However, in our modern times, violence, especially those with guns, is hard to ignore and a daily occurrence. In America during 2016, there was approximately 57,961 reported shootings, leaving 14,992 dead and 30,576 wounded, a number that is continually going up every year. In 2017 alone, just in 5 days, there has already been 644 incidents of shooting, killing 150 and leaving 358 injured. And this is only the numbers that have actually been reported and brought to officials’ attention. With all of this death and violence, how can we stay safe and prevent violence in our community?

There’s really no right answer when it comes to this kind of situation. It all depends on circumstance, and it takes a leader to make things right. As President Barack Obama said, “We’re going to have to come together and take meaningful action to prevent more tragedies like this, regardless of the politics.” We need to recognize the problem, treat the mentally ill, and make sensible gun laws. The Prevention Institute believes we should up security protocols by “Banning high capacity magazines, expand the 24 hour gun background check to make it universal, and reinstitute the assault weapons ban immediately.” We, the people, are the only ones who can change our society, because we are the society.

Although Chicago is a non-local major city, this story still matters to Massachusetts, and even Middleboro, because gun violence is and can happen anywhere you are. We’ve grown up with it, and yet there still hasn’t been change, even after the countless number of deaths throughout the decades. Our community needs to stand up and fight for better gun laws, and essentially our safety. 2017 can be our year, and we can finally put an end to the 15,000+ deaths that happen yearly due to guns.