On Thursday morning, at about the same time that a gunman opened fire on children at the Annunciation Catholic Church in Minneapolis, I walked my granddaughter to her fourth day of kindergarten.
She skipped toward her school doors with confidence and excitement, thrilled by the adventure of being in kindergarten. Her joy was contagious, and I walked home smiling. Then the first reports of the shooting broke.
My heart sank. I thought of the parents and grandparents in Minneapolis who, in that instant, were thrown into agony. Unsure if their child was safe.
That agony quickly turned into fear. Fear that something like that could happen in my community, to my family. And then, as it so often does, fear turned to anger. Because we all know: the United States has a gun violence epidemic, not by accident, but by design. Our political leaders have consistently chosen the profits of gun manufacturers over the safety of our children.
As we pray for the families impacted by this latest shooting, we must understand something essential: this violence is a political choice.
It will not be solved by simply adding more metal detectors in schools or more counselors on staff, though more mental health care would be good for other reasons. The problem will be solved when we pass common-sense gun laws.
The Reality of Gun Violence in America.
America is the outlier. The U.S. has a gun homicide rate 26 times higher than that of other high-income countries.
America is awash in guns. There are 120.5 guns for every 100 people in the U.S. The next closest country, the Falkland Islands, has barely half that number.
It’s getting worse. Firearms are now the leading cause of death for American children and teens.
It touches every space. Schools, workplaces, places of worship, shopping centers, concerts, and homes. No part of American life is untouched.
What Works to Save Lives
Stronger laws reduce shootings. Mass shootings are significantly more likely in states with weaker laws. Background checks and waiting periods cut gun deaths overall.
Community-based programs work. Well-implemented community violence intervention (CVI) programs reduce shootings by 30–60% in targeted neighborhoods.
Hospital-based interventions matter. Connecting gunshot victims with counseling and support reduces the risk of retaliation or re-injury by half.
The evidence is overwhelming: the fewer loopholes and the more prevention programs, the fewer victims.
Trump’s Record
Instead of strengthening public health approaches to reduce gun violence, Trump has pursued a strategy to weaken oversight, expand access, and shield the gun industry:
Shut down the White House Office of Gun Violence Prevention, eliminating a federal hub for sharing evidence-based solutions.
Cut and canceled community-violence prevention grants, leaving cities scrambling to fill the gap.
Rolled back the pistol brace rule, making it possible for AR-style pistols to be converted into short-barreled rifles with far less oversight.
Fast-tracked the restoration of gun rights for domestic abusers and violent offenders by changing DOJ review processes.
Ended strict oversight of gun dealers who repeatedly violated federal law.
Reframed gun violence as only a criminal issue, discarding the proven public-health approach.
Backed deregulatory bills in Congress, including efforts to nationalize concealed carry reciprocity, deregulate silencers, and even abolish the ATF.
This is not a strategy to protect children. It is a strategy to put more guns on our streets.
What You Can Do
The most powerful antidote to despair is action. Here’s where to start:
Educate Yourself
Learn what the Trump Administration has undone on gun violence prevention.
See where your state ranks on gun laws — are lawmakers protecting you or the gun lobby?
Read what experts know about effective laws and programs.
Learn the facts — and myths — about gun violence so you can push back when misinformation spreads.
Act in Your Community
Join groups like Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America or local CVI organizations.
Ask your school board not just about “security” but about partnerships with hospitals, youth programs, and prevention groups.
Practice gun safety at home: locked, unloaded, and separate from ammunition.
Support organizations like Sandy Hook Promise or Everytown for Gun Safety, which fight daily for reforms.
Push Politically
Call your representatives: oppose efforts to abolish the ATF or deregulate silencers; support stronger background checks and waiting periods.
Remember local elections matter: sheriffs, judges, mayors, and state legislators play an enormous role in how laws are enforced.
Shift the Culture
Talk about gun violence as a public health crisis, not just “crime.”
Share survivor stories, amplify prevention efforts, and correct the record when people claim nothing can be done.
We don’t have to live like this. Gun violence is a political choice. But unless we demand action at every level—personal, local, and national—our leaders will continue to choose the gun lobby’s profits over our children’s safety.
References:
https://giffords.org/lawcenter/facts/gun-violence-statistics/
https://worldpopulationreview.com/country-rankings/gun-ownership-by-country
https://www.cdc.gov/media/releases/2022/s0419-child-teen-deaths.html
https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/news/hsph-in-the-news/mass-shootings-and-gun-laws/
https://www.princeton.edu/news/2020/01/16/background-checks-waiting-periods
https://publichealth.jhu.edu/2022/community-violence-intervention
https://americanhealth.jhu.edu/topic/hvip
Amen 100 👏👏👏