Reducing gun violence requires a COVID-19 pandemic response

For more than a year, Philadelphia has been plagued by two deadly pandemics that have taken lives at alarming rates – especially in our Black and brown neighborhoods. While we’ve seen COVID-19 cases drop dramatically as more individuals receive the vaccine, the number of deaths associated with gun violence continues to climb.

The Philadelphia Police Department is reporting at least 245 homicides have happened, so far, in 2021, which is 36% higher than this time last year. If current rates hold, this year is on track to be the city’s deadliest on record. As with COVID-19, no one should find these preventable deaths acceptable. No one should fear for their life when they step outside of their home. No one should have to fear for the lives of their children when they go out and play.

The unfortunate reality is these senseless acts are not new. I will never forget when I was a little girl shopping in a store and heard for the first time the words, “he has a gun!” This issue is not foreign to me and is the same one we continue facing year after year, not just in Philadelphia, but across the country.

According to the Gun Violence Archive, the U.S. has seen at least 232 mass shootings, which is defined as four or more people being injured or killed, in 2021, alone. In May, two people were killed, and 20 others injured outside a concert in Florida; nine people were killed by a co-worker at a rail yard in California; and six people were killed at a birthday party in Colorado.

We must also remember that gun violence isn’t just a public safety problem but a racial justice problem, where communities of color are disproportionately impacted. A recent study from the Violence Policy Center ranked Pennsylvania seventh in the nation for Black homicides, with firearms being responsible for 88% of deaths.

So, the question remains. How do we reduce the shootings and stop this public health crisis? I believe we can use the same coordinated effort and commitment we’ve utilized to address COVID-19.

We need the same collaboration between community leaders, local organizations, law enforcement, lawmakers on all levels of government and, most importantly, the people who have helped secure crucial funding and resources to aid in our fight to stop the spread of the deadly virus. The same persistence that produced a life-saving vaccine in record time. The same willingness not to give up until the job is done.

There are a number of solutions on the table in the state legislature to curb gun violence, including my bill to invest in the safety of our young people by requiring public schools to teach all students conflict-resolution in the classroom. The instruction would include topics like respect for different cultures, races and beliefs; how to effectively manage emotions; and how to resolve differences peacefully. By providing children and teenagers with the tools necessary to solve problems without violence, we can stem the tide and stop this culture of killing.

What we can’t do is let ourselves become desensitized and accept gun violence as the norm. June may be National Gun Violence Awareness Month, but we must work together, all year round, to support new and current efforts underway to stop the bloodshed. The COVID-19 pandemic wasn’t easy, but we’ve made major progress in protecting lives. Let’s do the same with gun violence. People are counting on us, and we can’t let them down!

Leader Joanna McClinton, a Democrat, represents the 191st House District, which includes portions of Philadelphia and Delaware counties.