May 2018 Philadelphia Chapter of Pax Christi U.S.A.
When I was fourteen years old, my cousin and uncle were both shot and killed. Their attacker had legally purchased the semi-automatic firearm he used to take their lives despite having diagnosed mental instabilities. My family was rocked to the core, particularly my aunt who lost her husband and daughter in part due to inadequate gun laws and insufficient regulations.
My aunt, however, is far from alone in having been failed by the systems in place. According to studies published by both the Center for Disease Control and the FBI, on average there are over 13,000 gun homicides in the US each year, a percentage 25 times higher than the average rate of other countries categorized as "highly developed". In 2017 alone, there were 317 mass shootings, and since 2013 there have been nearly 300 school shootings nationwide. To put that number into context, that averages about one school shooting per week. And so we must ask ourselves from what does this violence stem? Is it a mental health issue? A gun law issue? A security issue?
Through careful consideration, it seems clear to me it is all these things and more. The gun violence epidemic which has overtaken our country is a product of a culture which is, in part, complicit with violence. It does a disservice to our family members, friends, co-workers and neighbors who have perished at the hands of misused firearms to focus on only one facet of the issue. It is so much easier to ignore the fact that the systems we have in place do little to teach people that no matter how deep the pain they experience, violence is not the solution. The transformation that will be necessary to soften our societal bent towards brutality must come from all sides. We, as activists and people who care deeply about the sanctity of life, must protect it, not only through laws but through behavior and action. Cesar Chavez once said that in some cases non-violence requires more militancy than violence. In effect, we must want peace and safety just as much as others want to guard against infringements on their freedoms. If we can show that violence is not ok in our schools because it is not ok in our streets or our prisons, not ok in our international relationships or our personal interactions with one another, we begin to challenge that widespread societal apathy towards something inherently devoid of morality, the act of taking of another human's life.
And the task ahead is daunting. The enormity of the task we face may even feel at times unachievable. But in moments of uncertainty, it is important to remember how much of the impossible we have already achieved. There were times in this country when it was perfectly legal to own slaves, when women were denied the vote, when identifying as LGBTQ was a crime and both Native American and Japanese internment camps were supported by the majority of the American public and the law. These atrocities did not dissipate simply because time passed. It
Catholic Peace Fellowship May 2018
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took the persistent and dedicated work of average people listening to their consciences and taking action against what was so clearly an injustice.
So each of us, as we vow to bear our responsibility in the creation of history, must do more than just grieve, grow angry, or feel helpless. We must facilitate dialogues with those with whom we disagree. We must participate in and organize demonstrations not only alongside thousands but wherever we feel something that encourages violence is taking place. We must cast votes for candidates who support effective and comprehensive policy change and protest those who don't. It will take a concerted struggle to not only change laws but in the words of Mahatma Gandhi, to change hearts and minds. But together, we the students, alongside the mothers and fathers, sisters and brothers of this nation, will make this change together.
Thank you. Rozella Apel
Catholic Peace Fellowship May 2018
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