Researchers have recently found some devastating news regarding the ongoing issue of gun violence in the United States. Investigators at Boston University have discovered that exactly 99.85% percent of Americans will know at least one person in their lives who is affected by gun violence. This is alarming news, really, for all Americans. This information was based from roughly 30,000 gun related deaths each year, as well as 80,000 non-fatal injuries from gun violence. This 99.85% is up slightly from the last time there was research done on this topic, which was not quite as high.
As it was previously stated, researchers from Boston University provided the research for this topic. Their investigation team included Bindu Kalesan, Janice Weinberg, and Sandro Galea. The trio claim that they began this project with an effort to inform the American public about just how bad gun violence is in the United States. The team stated that the issue with gun violence is not quite understood throughout the country. Their report was the first of its kind to show just how much gun violence affects the average citizen. On a positive note, it was found that most people will end up knowing a survivor of gun violence, rather than someone who died from it. While conducting the research for this project, the group from Boston University had to make some estimates and assumptions. First off, they had to take a rough estimate of the amount of victims of the violence. They also took into account that gun violence can happen at any random time, so therefore, in their research, all people face the same amount of risk for violent situations with guns. In actuality, minorities usually have a higher risk when it comes to gun violence. Lastly, it was assumed that each citizen maintained a constant number of relationships during their lifetime. I found this information to be very surprising. I never would have expected to find that 99% of people in this country will either know someone who is killed or injured in an act of gun violence. At the same time, I think that these numbers actually do make sense. As of right now, I do not know of anyone on a personal level who has been affected by gun violence, but now I know that there is a very good chance that I may at some point in my life. To me, this information is actually very sad, and I hope that these numbers will go down in the years to come. http://qz.com/819003/99-9-of-americans-will-know-a-victim-of-gun-violence-in-their-lifetime/ https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/27667339
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Like most college athletes, Mustapha Heron wants to make a difference. The only difference is that Heron not only wants to make a difference on the basketball court, but also in the community. The five star recruit has expressed interest in adding an orange patch to the Auburn men's basketball team's jerseys. He is planning on speaking with school officials about the issue as soon as possible. He has made it clear that he hopes he can get this patch on the school's jerseys before his time at Auburn is up. The idea of using the orange patch originated last year in the New York AAU program, with a team known as the Rens. Last year, Heron and his half brother were members of that team. Orange become a part of the program's uniforms after a members of the team had been shot by a gun in New York City. Orange is usually the color that is most identified with gun violence and for spreading awareness against it. The players, ranging from the third grade through the eleventh grade, were the ones who thought of the idea of spreading awareness for gun violence. Their coaches embraced their idea with open arms. Mustapha hopes to bring "wear orange" campaign to the school after he gets settled in the Auburn student body. Originally, it was started two years ago with some students from Chicago, and has now spread to other places due to the popularity of the Rens' message. The Rens are now affiliated with two gun violence prevention groups, Everytown USA and Sandy Hook Promise. Members of the team have been educated all about gun violence, and have even incorporated lessons into their practices. I really like what the Rens have done with this issue in their community. I think that their message must have strongly impacted Mustapha Heron. I hope that Mustapha can accomplish his goal of of getting the patch on Auburn's jersey. I think that others schools and organizations should take a look at what this kid is doing and at what the Rens have done, and follow in their footsteps by taking action on this issue. I believe that Auburn will accept Heron's proposition. I think that this is one way that sports can help people in this country through major issues that we have to go through. http://www.montgomeryadvertiser.com/story/sports/college/auburnauthority/2016/10/18/mustapha-heron-would-like-gun-violence-awareness-orange-patch-his-auburn-jersey/92393282/ http://ftw.usatoday.com/2015/12/rens-basketball-orange-patch-gun-violence http://www.therens.org/missionstatement https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xey4WjHZBTU A recent study has found that Connecticut is now one of the safest states in the country. This is major news due to the fact that one of the largest mass shootings, the Newtown School Massacre, occurred in the state of Connecticut roughly four years ago. This national study found that Connecticut was within the top four safest states in the United States. This is great news for the people of Connecticut. The only states that ranked higher than Connecticut in the study were New Jersey, New York, Rhode Island, Hawaii, and Massachusetts, which ranked as the safest state.
Late in 2012, on December 14, 20-year-old Adam Lanza fatally shot and killed 26 students and teachers at Sandy Hook Elementary. Lanza also murdered his mother, Nancy, at their home in Newtown. Lanza used his deceased mother's car to get to the school. The reason why Adam Lanza chose to attack Sandy Hook Elementary is unknown. The shooter, Lanza, committed suicide by shooting himself in the head as soon as first responders arrived on the scene. This was the deadliest mass shooting in any school in the United States. This report found that states that had passed laws banning assault rifles had significantly fewer gun related deaths. In the cases of gun related deaths and other violence in the state of Connecticut that did occur, statistics found that the gun was usually bought in a different state. It has been determined that the state of Connecticut has the second toughest laws pertaining to guns and weapons in the country. The Governor of Connecticut stated that the reason for the sudden drop in gun violence after the shooting at Sandy Hook was most likely due to the tougher gun laws passed soon after the event. While Connecticut was recently found as one of the safest states in the country, Louisiana, Alaska, and Mississippi were also found as the most dangerous states with the most gun violence. I am glad to see the state of Connecticut recover so quickly from such a terrible event. I hope to see the state continue its progress. I think that what Adam Lanza did is one of the worst possible things that anyone can possibly do, and I hope that we see fewer and fewer of these incidents every year. I would like to see other areas that have recently had major gun violence issues, such as Chicago, Illinois or Ferguson, Missouri, to also see improvements with this issue. I think that we might have to improve laws to help fix this problem, but I believe that it would be necessary. http://www.ctpost.com/local/article/Connecticut-among-five-safest-states-for-9966461.php http://connecticut.cbslocal.com/2016/10/12/study-connecticut-among-safest-states-for-gun-violence/ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sandy_Hook_Elementary_School_shooting On January 8, 2011, nobody knew if Gabrielle Giffords would live to see another day. On that day, she was innocently shot in her hometown of Tucson, Arizona by a 22-year-old man, who had opposed her political stances, at a constituent meeting in a supermarket parking lot. Gabby was shot in the head at point-blank range, and was left critically injured, but she did survive. Giffords, along with fifteen others, were injured in the shooting. Six people died during the incident, including 9-year-old Christina-Taylor Green and chief judge of the U.S. District Court for Arizona, John Roll.
Today, Gabby Giffords is alive and well, and now she is spreading awareness for gun violence. She is currently on a tour traveling to fourteen different U.S. states to push for gun control reforms. Giffords has titled her campaign "The Vocal Majority Tour", and looks to make a difference. She's also bringing her husband, Mark Kelly, along with her on the six-week tour that will be stopping in a total of forty-three cities across the nation. While on the road, she has also show support for Hillary Clinton as her choice for the next President of United States, as she stated that "Speaking is difficult for me, but come January, I want to say these two words; Madam President". Giffords believes that Clinton will provide the change that this country needs on the issue of gun violence. The Vocal Majority Tour kicked off on September 27 in none other than Orlando, Florida. States that Gabby will be traveling to include Minnesota, Iowa, Wisconsin, New York, Maine, and Virginia, but many others will also be included. At a recent rally, Mrs. Giffords stated that now, more than ever, is the time that we must come together. She believes that this is an issue that both Republicans and Democrats must come together on. How does Gabby Giffords think we can overcome this issue of gun violence in the U.S? Well, in her words, we must "fight, fight, fight". I think that Gabby Giffords is a very strong human being. There are not very many people who are able to speak out about such an important issue, let alone go through the terrible things that she has. I think that what she is fighting for is very important for the future of our nation. I think that this is the type of issue that members of all political parties will eventually agree on. I hope that we can soon see a change in this country about the issue of gun violence, for the sake of both people like Gabby Giffords, and the rest of the United States. http://floridapolitics.com/archives/222620-gabby-giffords-mark-kelly-kick-off-anti-gun-tour-orlando http://www.cbs58.com/story/33342731/vocal-majority-bus-tour-in-milwaukee http://plunderbund.com/2016/10/06/gabby-giffords-gun-violence-prevention-bus-tour-coming-to-ohio-this-weekend/ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2011_Tucson_shooting http://www.newsweek.com/gabby-giffords-gun-safety-bus-tour-503529 http://www.mcall.com/news/nationworld/pennsylvania/mc-official-bogus-lawsuit-filed-in-name-of-gabby-giffords-attacker-came-out-of-philadelphia-20160324-story.html |
About the AuthorDylan Orth is an author, currently living in Riceville, Iowa. Archives
November 2016
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