In our our group meeting this week, there were so many interesting conversations about different experiences with law enforcement and about what everyone is learning from their interviews.
I found myself thinking a lot about how culture & history
shape people's interactions with law enforcement. In particular, I've been thinking about the impact that guns have in the United States. We have a
country where there are lots of guns. And it's relatively easy for someone to get a gun (both legally and illegally). This has so many dramatic changes, like:
- how law enforcement "works" in different places,
- how the police might perceive people in the "community",
- how police perceive "youth" in the community,
- how everyone perceives threats,
- how regular citizens interact with each other
- how stereotypes develop
Below are some statistics on how gun violence affects everyone in this country:
"The U.S. experiences epidemic levels of gun violence, claiming over 30,000 lives annually, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. For every person who dies from a gunshot wound, two others are wounded. Every year, more than 100,000 Americans are victims of gun violence.
Gun violence touches every segment of our society. It increases the probability of deaths in incidents of domestic violence, raises the likelihood of fatalities by those who intend to injure others and among those who attempt suicide, places children and young people at special risk, and disproportionately affects communities of color."
(Citation: Legal Community Against Violence)
I'm looking forward to continuing these important conversations and research...
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