From Gun Violence to Equity: The Imperative of Social Justice in Our Communities
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Social Justice
“Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.” -Martin Luther King Jr.. I’ve seen this in my own life and the lives of others regarding gun violence specifically. Justice: “the maintenance or administration of what is just regarding the impartial adjustment of conflicting claims or the assignment of merited rewards or punishments” From gun violence to discrimination, it’s not exactly tough to find injustice in the society we live in. Every citizen, regardless of race, ethnic background, or status, should enjoy equal civic standing and equal protection of the law.
It is widely acknowledged that injustice is dangerous to society. In an ideal world, all people would be treated in the same way. While there have been great efforts and movements supporting better lives, such as the women’s suffrage, civil rights, and gun violence prevention movements, injustice is still a threat to us today.
The ongoing struggle for equal rights—evident in movements like women's suffrage and gun violence prevention—reminds me, as a young African-American woman, of the fragility of my rights and safety. In my own life, I’ve seen family members mourning the loss of their own due to gun violence. Losing family members to gun violence, such as my cousins Zakee and Zafir Abdur-Rahman, has shaped my perception of our community's harsh reality, where over 1 billion firearms circulate worldwide, often leading to fear among young people in neighborhoods plagued by gun crime.
The vast majority of firearms – 85%– are in the hands of private individuals, 13% are in military arsenals and 2% are owned by law enforcement agencies, meaning that the beast that is gun violence is still at large. As a teenager in Philadelphia, I’ve seen myself and my fellow students have to fear dangerous situations due to gun activity near our school, neighborhoods, parks, and favorite hangout spots. Unfortunately, this is the reality for most of us today. Yet, hope tells us that she is still alive today, despite all the injustice, and this is evident in Amanda Gorman’s, “The Hill We Climb”, which reads,
“Let the globe, if nothing else, say this is true: that even as we grieved, we grew,
I agree, when people grieve, they learn something new. From realizing that cherished moments aren’t going to last, to experiencing something so traumatic that you wish would never happen to anyone else. Yes we are still experiencing injustices but its overlooked and it becomes the norm.
even as we hurt, we hoped, that even as we tired, we tried, that we’ll forever be
tied together victorious, not because we will never again know defeat but
because we will never again sow division.” Hopefully, we will learn to “lay down our arms so we can reach out our arms to one another”, and in doing so, eliminate injustice and reclaim our society and its nations.
Overall, injustice still thrives in many forms today, and gun violence is just one of them. To stop this cruel injustice in such an evil world, we must not only seek to do right by one another but act upon it, which starts with me and you. Some simple steps to be taken that will reduce gun violence are the following:
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Block Concealed Carry Reciprocity.
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Keep Guns Off Campus.
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Prohibit Guns in Sensitive Areas.
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Prohibit Open Carry.
While these ideas may not entirely rid society of gun violence, I believe they will promote peace among citizens. As Martin Luther King Jr. also said, “Faith is taking the first step even when you don’t see the entire staircase.” Still, we the people must resolve to work together to restore the world and exemplify peace between all nations and peoples on Earth.
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