Another mentally ill man with an assault rifle mowing down people, including children, who were out with family and friends enjoying recreation and sharing meals in another US city. This time, it was Lewiston, Maine. As I write this, there are 18 confirmed dead, although only eight have been officially identified. Assault weapons cause such grievous injuries that even family members may not be able to identify victims by sight, so forensic methods need to be used. Thirteen people are injured.
As of October 27th, the Gun Violence Archive has recorded 566 mass shootings in the United States so far in 2023, which is tragic and appalling. The total number of deaths due to gun violence is 35,389 with 19,800 of those being self-inflicted, which is also tragic and appalling.
The entire population of Lewiston, Maine was listed as 36.617 in 2021. Would we finally be able to get more governmental attention to the issue of gun violence if we think of it as an entire small city dying due to guns rather than looking at each individual instance in isolation?
Even though there is support from over 80% of the public for some gun safety measures like universal background checks for all gun sales, Congress has not been able to pass these into law. The House Representative whose district includes Lewiston has apologized to his constituents for his prior opposition to gun safety laws and now promises to support them. I challenge other members of Congress to look at gun violence in their own districts and states, whether they are mass shootings, individual homicides, accidents, suicides, or woundings, and determine a path to make life safer for all people.
It’s too late for 35,389 people this year but not too late for countless others. Congress, act now.
Photo credit: Photo by Lucas Sankey on Unsplash
Joanne Corey 