Hoosiers Concerned About Gun Violence (HCGV) is a nonprofit grassroots organization founded in 1990 in Indianapolis. It brings together Hoosiers concerned about the rising tide of gun violence to seek solutions to this problem at the local, state and national levels.
From HCGV’s President: Disagreeing with Passion & Respect
I’m writing this message on the day after the assassination attempt on Donald Trump, and as I read and listen, I think we have no new insights to share – unless we can call the immediacy of the moment new, the level-red knowledge of what is at stake. Public statements have spoken to what we already know – that ever more dangerous, incendiary rhetoric across our political divide, ever shorter tempers and ever easier access to guns are among leading contributors to an environment in which violence is not just condoned but threatens to become normalized. That we need to recover mutual respect.
Also not new is that volatile and impulsive people (often young men), susceptible to extreme rhetoric are everywhere. As I write this, media has reported very little about the would-be assassin: his name, age, hometown, that he was armed with an assault rifle. We know nothing yet about why he attempted to kill former president Trump. But never mind; he was one of God knows how many people living among us with volatile temperament who can access guns – a serious matter that we should be able to do something about but probably not eliminate.
Public leaders’ rejections of political violence are right and necessary and something we should all join in. But the nature and manner of how we disagree is not so straight-forward. We often observe, during times of heated public debate, when someone tells us we need to stop arguing and calm down, that they’re actually telling us that the problem could be settled if only we’d come on over, get in line and agree that they’re right.
But that won’t happen when people believe earnestly, even with opposing viewpoints, that the future of our democracy is at risk. Nor should it; we would not ask Americans today to be dispassionate. But can we not learn to keep hold of our passion and knowledge of what is at stake without vilifying those who see the world differently or resorting to violence?
Easy to say; not so easy to do. So, let me propose a place to start. Our purpose, in whatever way and place we can, is to cultivate continuously a commitment to own our shared life. We can start with a life principle to declare our responsibility to each other. Some of us take that lesson from religious faith. For some of us it’s more secular, but the objective is the same. From children, to youth to us no longer youthful, we can learn and relearn that no one is an island. For better or worse, we all – Republicans, Democrats and independents in all of our shades and life styles share each other’s fate. Learning how to live on that common ground would not dampen our passion, but it could help us restore civility.
Jerry
Gun violence is now the second leading cause for young white males and the leading cause of death of young African-American males. Of course, guns alone are not responsible for these deaths. However, because firearms are so easily accessible in the United States, we have the dubious honor of having one of the highest murder rates in the world.
Polls show that the overwhelming majority of Americans are in favor of stricter gun laws – even the majority of gun owners support responsibility in gun purchases and ownership. Yet our legislators tend to hear only from the powerful lobbies and oppose laws that foster responsible standards for gun ownership. If we join together, our voices will be heard. You can make a difference!
We hope that you will join Hoosiers Concerned About Gun Violence and work with us to decrease the number of gun-related injuries and deaths.
If you have questions, feel free to contact us at: info@hcgv.org