Students, faculty gather to remember gun violence victims It’s become an all too familiar refrain on newscasts and in social media posts. “Thoughts and prayers” for the growing number of gun violence victims in communities across the country. Shootings dominate news headlines for a few days, only to be overshadowed by new acts of violence. The FIU community came together once again to mourn, to remember and to honor those affected by gun violence. Hosted by the Green School, the event was also a teach-in for the FIU community: an in-depth conversation with experts in criminal
justice, law, psychology and law enforcement on how to cope with the tragedies, deal with the aftermath and work toward solutions. “We must never become numb and inured to this awful reality that claims innocent lives and destroys families,’’ said Green School Senior Fellow David Kramer, who moderated the discussion. “How can we make ourselves safer, reduce the likelihood of more mass shootings and reduce gun violence more broadly, while also protecting individual rights?” Back-to-back shootings in El Paso, Texas, and Dayton, Ohio, took 31 lives in less than 24 hours, leaving the nation stunned and shaken, said President Mark B. Rosenberg. However, sadness and grief can and should be turned into action, he said.
Creating a Just, Peaceful and Prosperous World
“I call upon you today to take what you learn here and use it … use it to make our communities better, to make our nation better. Let our sadness drive us to do more and to once again embrace the bright weapons of love and hope and action.” “We are not powerless,’’ Rosenberg added. “Our will to be better can be translated into action … to ensure that our communities become beacons of peace and prosperity. It starts with what we’re doing here.” While incidents with mass casualties like those in Parkland, Dayton and El Paso get the biggest
headlines, gun violence is a much broader issue than many people realize. “People tend to hear more about mass shootings, but it’s the everyday violence in our urban communities that is much more prevalent,’’ said Candice Ammons-Blanfort, instructor in the Department of Criminology and Criminal Justice and the first graduate of FIU’s Ph.D. program in international crime and justice. While funding for critical mental health services is not sufficient, it’s important not to use mental illness “as a scapegoat’’ for gun violence, added Carleen Vincent, senior instructor and associate chair of the Department of Criminology and Criminal Justice. People with mental illness, she said, are far more likely to become the victims of violence than to commit acts of violence.
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