As we reflect on the year 2015 and usher in 2016, it seems that much of our attention has centered on gun violence and acts of terrorism that have evoked a sense of dread and fear. What we saw locally, nationally and internationally were gripping events that left families and communities devastated by acts of senseless violence.
Reportedly, “More Americans have died from guns in the United States since 1968 than on battlefields of all the wars in American history.” That’s shocking!
Nationally, violent crime has fallen since the 1990s, but the rate of firearms-related deaths have largely held firm for the past 15 years. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports that in 2013, guns killed 3,428 more people than falls, 4,635 more people than alcohol, and 30,876 more people than fires. Researchers forecast 2015 the year that bullets kill more Americans than car accidents, which had long been the leading cause of injury death in the United States.
There are those who say there aren’t enough resources or enough people who care about gun violence. Yet, I’ve been encouraged by the Black Lives Matter Movement that organizes protests around the deaths of black people in killings by law enforcement officers, and other race equity issues. And there are the young people on college campuses across the country, including the University of Missouri, who are flexing their own muscles of self-worth and are standing for dignity and rights.
This generation reminds us that the battle is not over and that we must fight the good fight. We must fight City Hall when they claim there is no money for combating social-economic issues. We must fight Congress when they proclaim gun laws are adequate. We must fight Jefferson City when they propose legislation to expand gun rights further. We must fight any special interests whose policies are contrary to the achievement of educational and employment opportunities that could lift the economic and living standard of all people.
Through our collective will and, yes, prayers, things can change. We can join hands with every mother, father, sister, brother who has felt the pain of losing someone through gun violence and pray for change. As we pray, we can also hear their rallying cry and stand together for common-sense laws that protect us all. We can stand together to ensure that we have programs and policies that can help heal our communities. We can stand together to stop the violence, once and for all!
This is my prayer for 2016.
