We continue to grieve with the families in Uvalde, Texas, but we also need to find solutions right here at home to our own massacres. As of this week, we have seen 55 people murdered in Birmingham. That’s a 14% increase as of the end of May according to Birmingham police crime stats. We met one of the young lives lost exactly three years ago when Rayshod Goldthwaite decided to spend his summer with friends helping the homeless in Birmingham. A bullet has kept us from helping Rayshod, but we can help keep his vision alive. We must help provide solutions. Churches, colleges, and local community groups have offered public prayer, vigils, and positive community get-togethers to encourage connection and compassion, not violence. This Saturday, a March for Our Lives rally will be held at Kelly Ingram Park. A Democratic state lawmaker is working on a revised Red Flag gun safety law. Those are all important, but not enough. As individuals, we must commit to being part of a solution. We must partner with businesses, law enforcement and government leaders on both sides. We must create more opportunities for young people, more job training, access to mental health care, and more healthy community engagement alternatives. We have a mass tragedy in our community right now. Enough needs to be enough.
We continue to grieve with the families in Uvalde, Texas, but we also need to find solutions right here at home to our own massacres.
As of this week, we have seen 55 people murdered in Birmingham. That’s a 14% increase as of the end of May according to Birmingham police crime stats.
We met one of the young lives lost exactly three years ago when Rayshod Goldthwaite decided to spend his summer with friends helping the homeless in Birmingham.
A bullet has kept us from helping Rayshod, but we can help keep his vision alive.
We must help provide solutions. Churches, colleges, and local community groups have offered public prayer, vigils, and positive community get-togethers to encourage connection and compassion, not violence.
This Saturday, a March for Our Lives rally will be held at Kelly Ingram Park. A Democratic state lawmaker is working on a revised Red Flag gun safety law.
Those are all important, but not enough. As individuals, we must commit to being part of a solution.
We must partner with businesses, law enforcement and government leaders on both sides. We must create more opportunities for young people, more job training, access to mental health care, and more healthy community engagement alternatives.
We have a mass tragedy in our community right now.
Enough needs to be enough.
