We were outraged at Sandy Hook, Las Vegas, Texas, Florida, Birmingham, Buffalo, at gun violence at a Pittsburgh synagogue, at Oxford, Michigan, at a six year-old shooting their teacher, and now at Michigan State…three dead, six critically wounded…and we pray for the souls lost, the families grieving, those whose lives hang in the balance, and student lives who will remember Feb. 13 to their last day.

“What should we do?” We can cite chapter and verse the inadequacy of our responses….it’s in the hands of authorities…leaders are determined to protect Second Amendment rights no matter what the cost…we’re too old, too weary, too busy to protest. We need more therapists and social workers, and police who listen to reports of unbalanced adults and youth, and, and, and….

When violence enters our backyard, we are shocked, but shouldn’t be. Thirty-five plus years of random shootings, and we must stop sitting on our hands. Pencil, pen, keystrokes, peaceful marches, checking our investments to see if we’re funding organizations or groups with ties to the gun industry, demanding movies and stories that rip away the façade of irresponsible gun access.

Who pays for the funerals of all who’ve breathed their final breath at the invasion of a
bullet….or the hospital and mental health bills whose lives have been forever breached….and we haven’t even tackled the post-mortem effects on families and friends who are grieving over their loved ones killed by police brutality.

Who is responsible? WE ARE.

A few things we can do:

1. Understand the issues around gun safety reform. https://indivisible.org/resource/how-
states-can-prevent-gun-violence

2. Protect children: https://besmartforkids.org/

3. See how elected officials stands on gun safety, then contact those pro-gun officials. reform:
https://lawcenter.giffords.org/scorecard/ ; https://gunsensevoter.org/

4. Use social media to advocate for new laws regulating gun purchases.

5. Demand better mental health access: https://www.nami.org/advocacy

6. Volunteer: https://actionnetwork.org/groups/csgv