“Do Everything Possible To Prevent Gun Violence”
This letter appeared in the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel on November 20th, 2006.
Compliments to the Journal Sentinel for its remarkable series about gun violence (”Uncounted: Surviving gunshots, paying the price,” Nov. 12-14. Also see parts two and three of this terrific series). Rarely has a major newspaper taken such an in-depth look at the staggering and pervasive impact gun violence has had on all Americans.
Given the tremendous costs - both human and financial - caused by gun violence and borne by all citizens, we should be doing all we can to prevent it here in Milwaukee and across our country. We cannot afford to allow this issue to be ignored by elected officials in the Wisconsin Legislature or in Congress.
Common sense for the common good should be our goal. To start, we should recognize that there are too many guns on our streets, and criminals can much too easily acquire these guns. At the very least, we should require a criminal background check prior to every gun sale so guns don’t fall into the wrong hands, and we should make sure law enforcement officials have the tools they need to determine how guns are being trafficked.
Yes, emergency room personnel have a role in preventing gun deaths, but so do elected officials. We could - and should - do more to prevent gun violence than just treat victims after shootings occur.
Jeri Bonavia
Executive director
Wisconsin Anti-Violence Effort
Milwaukee