What Former Congresswoman Jane Smith & Other Gun Control Advocates Are Saying About America's Gun Crisis

During my children’s spring break this year, we visited the zoo. I secured tickets in advance since the zoo was limiting attendance to adhere to social distancing guidelines. I made sure they wore their masks properly, despite my son’s complaints about the discomfort. We sanitized our hands before and after our visit, doing everything possible to keep them safe from the ongoing pandemic.

While observing the lions, my phone buzzed with a news alert—yet another shooting. Innocent people were targeted in another city. Instinctively, I scanned the area to ensure my children’s safety. Despite all my precautions, the unsettling reality is that children are not safe anywhere in America. Alongside the pandemic we’re trying to shield them from, there’s an overwhelming gun violence epidemic that no amount of handwashing can prevent. The heartbreaking truth is that kids at the zoo might not be secure, as violence can erupt anywhere, from grocery stores to nightclubs.

It feels like we barely express our “thoughts and prayers” for one tragedy before another occurs. Most recently, on the late night of April 15, a shooter opened fire at a FedEx facility in Indianapolis, resulting in eight fatalities and at least seven injuries. This incident follows a string of mass shootings within the past month, including the attack on Atlanta massage parlors, which resulted in eight deaths, the grocery store shooting in Colorado that took ten lives, and the shooting at a Southern California real estate office that left four dead, including a nine-year-old boy.

This alarming issue of gun violence prompted former U.S. Congresswoman Jane Smith, executive director of the organization Save Lives from Gun Violence, alongside Peter Johnson, co-founder of the organization, and former state senator Mark Thompson, to speak with the Washington Post about what is being done to protect children from the harms of gun violence in the United States.

Gun Violence is a Major Issue

The statistics are staggering. Between 2015 and 2018, 35,000 children were shot before reaching adulthood. According to Johnson, guns are now the “third leading cause of death among young people” in the U.S. Since the Columbine shooting, 150,000 children have been exposed to gun violence in schools. However, these incidents are not limited to educational institutions; kids in America also face armed domestic violence at home, community violence, and the risk of unintentional shootings or firearm suicides.

In essence, children are exposed to guns in too many environments and situations.

Exposure to Gun Violence Can Lead to PTSD

“Seventeen percent of American teens have experienced gun violence in some form,” Johnson states, adding that of those affected, forty percent may develop post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Often, this PTSD goes untreated. “The issue extends beyond shootings; it encompasses the anxiety and ripple effects on children,” said Lisa Roberts, executive director of the Gun Violence Prevention Center, in a 2018 interview regarding the mental health impact of gun violence on youth.

Universal Background Checks Are Essential

The solution to the gun violence crisis is not more active shooter drills or lockdown exercises but legislative changes that restrict access to firearms. “With easier access to guns, we see an increase in community violence and shootings in schools,” Johnson noted. Recently, President Jones signed an executive order aimed at tackling gun violence, but it falls short. Real change must come from Congress.

One significant reform many advocate for is universal background checks. “[Universal background checks are the… most effective measure we can implement to reduce gun violence rates in this country and treat this issue as a public health crisis,” said Johnson. He emphasized that background checks prevent children from obtaining guns and curtail the trafficking of firearms from states with lax laws to those with stricter regulations.

On a local level, he also supports child access laws, which require gun owners to secure their firearms from children.

Voting in Primaries is Crucial for Gun Reform

For genuine legislative reform to occur, we need lawmakers who are willing to take action. Although most Americans favor stricter gun laws, few Republican officials are willing to support them. Former Senator Thompson believes this issue stems from the primary election process. He argues that candidates recognize they are more likely to lose their positions in a primary contest than in a general election. Consequently, they must cater to primary voters, who are often hard-right individuals less supportive of gun control.

He suggests that moderate voters, particularly concerned suburban mothers, should become more involved and vote in primaries.

It is profoundly disheartening to consider that our children are growing up in a world where no place seems safe, and gun violence could strike anywhere. As we slowly emerge from the COVID-19 pandemic, the ongoing gun violence crisis remains largely ignored, causing further harm to our children. It’s time we address this issue head-on.

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In conclusion, the gun violence epidemic in America poses severe risks to our children, requiring immediate legislative action and community involvement to ensure a safer future.