With the Coalition Against Gun Violence, I stand up for gun-safety policies here in the city, in order to stop suicides and homicides in my community. Why? Because shootings should not be stories we read or hear about on a daily basis. We need to stand up for ourselves and show people that this community is going to come together and say that enough is enough!

We need to stop acting like we are so shocked when we hear of gun-violence incidents in mass media sources, then hold no community outrage when our own youth fall as victims of fatal gunshot wounds.

At the beginning of last year on January 1, the city woke up to yet another tragic gun violence incident. A dead body was found in the middle of De la Vina Street, and people were treated for potentially fatal wounds. Since the affected families are not privileged, our community did not hold vigils or stand against gun violence. The Santa Barbara Police Department and District Attorney’s Office did all they could to protect us from further harm in that incident, but they cannot prevent these shootings alone. If we unite and ask for sensible preventative measures locally, we can do so much more to protect our city from gun-violence tragedies. We should always come together to stand against gun violence, because it takes the entire community to prevent shootings.

Our coroner’s reports indicate there is a higher level of suicides of people between the ages of 17 to 21. These numbers also show that the incidents are associated with fatal gunshot wounds. We should help our elected officials pass ordinances that would support AB3 and educate our city residents on gun safety measures as a priority to protect our children. Let’s advocate for gun safety. Join the Coalition Against Gun Violence to protect the city against more gun violence incidents.

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