Neighbors,
Today is National Gun Violence Awareness Day, marking a weekend of national action where citizens are encouraged to #WearOrange and raise awareness of gun violence prevention. I am proud to have worked with the D.C. chapter of one of the groups organizing this campaign, Moms Demand Action. Their chapter has helped advocate for the NEAR Act and worked to ensure that the voices of urban youth are included in the national conversation around gun violence.
Sadly, we require no reminders about gun violence after the loss of life we experienced over the past week in the District. I am outraged by this violence and everyone in the city should be outraged. There must be a heightened sense of urgency to address this crisis. While there are statistics to show crime is down, the statistics do not matter to the families and communities that have experienced deaths due to gun violence. Whether violent crime is down is irrelevant to how a city should respond to homicides.
We must use all available resources to stem the tide of senseless gun violence—the future of our city, our young people, depends on it. Working with the community, I will continue to do everything I can to address the root causes of violence that plague communities across the District.
In Service,
Kenyan
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