John,
Yesterday was another heartbreaking day in America - one that we are all too familiar with. We stand with our neighbors in Georgia and join them in grieving for the two students and two teachers whose lives were stolen by gun violence, and the nine others who remain hospitalized.
We know that a 14-year-old had access to an assault-style rifle, and that he has been on the FBI’s radar since he was 13. And we know that, much like North Carolina, Georgia has systematically dismantled their gun laws–they passed permitless carry just two years ago.
Many states have increased gun safety laws and funding for violence prevention in the last few years, but like Georgia, North Carolina has gone in the opposite direction. This summer, lawmakers left Raleigh without passing funding for community violence intervention (CVI) programs or for NC S.A.F.E., the state’s safe firearm storage program. When we were in Raleigh in May, Republican lawmakers looked our survivor advocates in the eye, shook their heads at the senseless tragedies they had experienced, and then did nothing. Those are the kind of people “leading” us.
We also cannot forget that last year, they repealed NC’s life-saving Pistol Purchase Permit (PPP) system, which makes getting handguns without a background check easier. Much of the U.S. experienced a steep and historic decline in gun violence since the start of 2023, with cities like Baltimore1 and Philadelphia2 seeing record drops. But not here: last year, Greensboro3 set a new homicide record, and this year, violence is up in both Charlotte4 and Raleigh5. This is not an accident: this is a policy choice by our leaders.
This November, we must elect leaders committed to preventing violence in our schools, communities, and homes. We need you in this work: sign up to make calls and knock doors with us, or donate to support our efforts in this work.
Yours in the work,
Becky, Sara, and Bishop
References:
1. Homicides in Baltimore City down 36% compared to this time last year, mayor says.
2. Philly has the largest drop in gun violence out of major US cities, report says.
3. Greensboro sets new record for homicides after violent weekend in city.
4. CMPD Quarterly Statistical Report: CMPD Releases 2nd Quarter Statistics for 2024.
5. Homicides up 75 percent from last year, new RPD crime report finds.
