Muncie Times, Muncie, Delaware County, 21 July 2005 — Page 22

Page 22 • The Muncie Times

2005

The Judge s Chambers Federal government should step up efforts to curb gun violence

One of the biggest divisions in the discussion about gun violence is the question of prevention versus prosecution. The law enforcement approach to America’s gun epidemic is part of the solution, but fails to acknowledge that gunrelated deaths, like auto-mobile-related ones, could be prevented. At the end of the day, this is a public health issue, not a criminal one and, as with other public health crises, the federal government should take a more prominent role in advocating for and funding gun violence prevention programs. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), there are about 50,000 gun-related deaths in the United States each year. Roughly half of these victims are African American; black males between the ages of 15

and 24 have the highest firearm homicide rate of any demographic group. In addition, approximately 75,000 Americans suffer gun-related injuries annually. Beyond these startling statistics, very little is known about gun violence. If policymakers were aware of any patterns associated with gun deaths—for example, whether abused children are more likely to become violent offenders or if it is more likely that a teenage boy will be shot between 4 and 6 p.m. than at any other time of day— perhaps they’d be able to develop and run effective prevention programs. CDC has developed the National Violent Death Reporting System (NVDRS), a national, state-based system that monitors violent deaths. NVDRS helps identify potential risk factors, details the circumstances that may have contributed

to the incident and 1 describes the offenders and their relationships to the victim. This data collection can be used the same way that the U.S. Department of| Transportation’s Fatality Analysis Reporting System (PARS) has been used to help prevent thousands of automobile accidents. Information col-' lected by PARS prompted the addition of collapsible airbags and detected the link between Ford Explorers and Firestone tires in 2001. With increased federal funding, NVDRS can expand and have the same impact on gun deaths that PARS has had on vehicle-related

deaths.

In addition to the human loss, gun violence causes substantial financial loss. According to Physicians for Social Responsibility, these deaths and injuries cost the United States about $100 billion every

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Judge Greg Mathis Chairman of the Rainbow PUSH- Excel Board and a national member of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference

year in medical costs and lost wages. Very often, these fees are paid with tax dollars. With the heavy financial burdens the majority of Americans already carry, it is irresponsible for the federal government to expect us to bear this one as well. Congress has already spent $192 billion on the war in Iraq and it is estimated that another $200 billion will be spent before it is all over. Yet, very little federal money is being spent on the war at home, a war that is raging in urban and rural and

poor and affluent neighborhoods across this country. With his “Project Safe Neighborhoods” President George W. Bush wants to address gun violence after the fact by heavily prosecuting offenders. Effective prevention programs can spare both the lives of the victim and the perpetrator. The government is very conscientious about protecting the public from the measles and the flu. Why isn’t that same energy applied to protecting us from gun violence?

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