The article “Survey: Many at-risk youths in Allegheny Co. lose family to gun violence” (Aug. 17, TribLIVE) is a heartbreaking read. I am the parent of three young children in the Mt. Lebanon School District, and while the children in our district may not face the same hard realities of gun violence as the kids in the survey, I worry it is only a matter of time.
We must come together as communities. Unless parents, teachers, administrators and public officials unite to protect every child against gun violence, no school district will be able to consider its students “safe.”
Eighty-five percent of the children surveyed said they are afraid for themselves and their families, and little or nothing at all is being done by the responsible adults in their lives to address gun violence. This is unacceptable, for my children and for yours.
It is on us — moms and dads, aunts and uncles, neighbors, community leaders — to talk to kids about gun safety. But that is not enough. Our kids need to see us talking to our communities, school leaders, law enforcement officers, elected officials and each other about gun violence and how to stop it. We also need our lawmakers to pass lifesaving gun safety policy that will help keep guns away from our kids, such as requiring the reporting of lost/stolen guns and the secure storage of firearms in the home.
We must continue the conversation. Perhaps expanding this survey to all school districts will drive home the toll gun violence is taking on our kids.
Kristen Rieck
Mt. Lebanon