December 11, 2023: Gun Violence Prevention Task Force

Posted on December 19, 2023 at 12:00 AM

By Carol Comito, Chair, Gun Violence Prevention Task Force

The PPC Gun Violence Prevention Task Force has learned that many organizations and the federal government are working on solutions to our gun violence crisis. The Task Force will be a part of this initiative, and we invite all WNDC members to join in the effort to end gun violence.

Recently I attended the Center for American Progress’s virtual summit. Over two days, the Center hosted several workshops, which were very informative and moving. Almost every speaker had been shot at least once. Their stories were beyond anything you could imagine. Survivors go through so much—and so do their families, friends, and communities!

One thing I learned that puts much of this in perspective is the term “trauma recidivism”—experienced by people who have been shot multiple times in different scenarios. Often the survivor returns to the neighborhood where they were initially a victim because they have nowhere else to turn. Then, 68% of the time, they are shot again.

Fortunately, organizations in Washington and around the country, as well as the federal government, have taken on the task of eliminating the violence. The newly established Office of Gun Violence Prevention, led by Vice President Kamala Harris, works with several agency directors—some of them survivors themselves—to coordinate ways to address these issues. They are working together to make a difference.

Of course, there is a lot of work to be done. There are bills in Congress right now, which we should track and support as they move through the legislative process. Then we can write to Congress to show our support. In addition, many state bills need to be enforced.

The Gun Violence Prevention Task Force and the PPC will be sharing information and bringing programs to WNDC members that will move us all forward. You can be a part of this effort, too. If you want to get involved, please let one of us know now.