Seeking Solutions to Gun Violence
NCS and STA students hear from experts on the causes of gun violence and ways to reduce it.
On Friday, March 14, 2013, NCS and STA Upper School students, along with other members of our community, heard from three speakers who bring differing experiences to the issue of reducing gun violence: Cathy Lanier, chief of police of the Washington, DD Metropolitan Police Department; R.T. Rybak, major of Minneapolis since 2001; and Dr. Arthur Kellerman, a policy analyst at the Rand Corporation who has been a practicing emergency room physician in major cities and founder of the Emory University’s Department of Emergency Medicine. The panel, moderated by Bishop Mariann Budde, was part of the Washington National Cathedral’s observance of Gun Violence Prevention Sabbath Weekend.
Chief Lanier opened by noting that if you were not involved in gangs or drugs, you had a low potential for being murdered in DC. She said that an intensive effort focused on gangs has helped reduce the homicide rate in the city.
Dr. Kellerman, who has treated hundreds of gunshot wounds as an ER physician, said “the weapon matters.” As illustration, he noted the outcome of a school attack by a man with a knife in China (all the students lived) versus Newtown, where 26 people were murdered by an automatic assault weapon. “Guns don’t cause violence, but they amplify the consequences,” he said.
Dr. Kellerman noted that as a society, we have reduced the number of car crashes and deaths by fire and drowning, all through common sense measures that did not involve banning cars, matches, or swimming pools. “But if we do nothing about this issue, 30,000 more people will die next year from gun violence,” he said.
With the audience submitting questions on cards, Bishop Budde relayed questions to the panel on subjects as varied as the gun marketplace and the impact of gentrification. The last question she posed was, how do we come together on this issue?
Major Rybak stated three conditions were necessary as a foundation for compromise:
• We need to understand the facts.
• We need to have all the information.
• Everybody lives by the same rules.
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Chief Lanier opened by noting that if you were not involved in gangs or drugs, you had a low potential for being murdered in DC. She said that an intensive effort focused on gangs has helped reduce the homicide rate in the city.
Mayor Rybak made the case for universal background checks for individuals seeking to buy guns. He posed the analogy of the TSA checks at the airport: “Would you allow only 60% of people to be checked, and 40% to go through unchecked? Which line do you think the terorrists would pick?”
Dr. Kellerman, who has treated hundreds of gunshot wounds as an ER physician, said “the weapon matters.” As illustration, he noted the outcome of a school attack by a man with a knife in China (all the students lived) versus Newtown, where 26 people were murdered by an automatic assault weapon. “Guns don’t cause violence, but they amplify the consequences,” he said.
Dr. Kellerman noted that as a society, we have reduced the number of car crashes and deaths by fire and drowning, all through common sense measures that did not involve banning cars, matches, or swimming pools. “But if we do nothing about this issue, 30,000 more people will die next year from gun violence,” he said.
With the audience submitting questions on cards, Bishop Budde relayed questions to the panel on subjects as varied as the gun marketplace and the impact of gentrification. The last question she posed was, how do we come together on this issue?
Major Rybak stated three conditions were necessary as a foundation for compromise:
• We need to understand the facts.
• We need to have all the information.
• Everybody lives by the same rules.
He urged the audience not to walk away from the debate because it’s hard. “We need to acknowledge there has been a massive tragedy [Newtown] and rise above the fray.”
Chief Lanier agreed the solution will be in common sense compromise. “We’re not talking about taking Second Amendment rights away,” she said, “but a fully automatic assault weapon is not for a hobby.”
Dr. Kellerman said, bluntly: “Stop listening to crazy people and handing your brain over to a talk show host…think for yourself.”
All three panelists urged students to become involved in the issue: “With the debate on gun violence happening just a few miles away in this city, you have an opportunity to change things,” said Mayor Rybak.
Bishop Budde said she would record all of the audience’s questions, because she wanted to keep the conversation going. We are grateful to Bishop Budde and the panel for presenting a very insightful discussion of this serious issue.
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The "Seeking Solutions" panel was moderated by Bishop Budde. Photo by Donovan Marks.
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Minneapolis Mayor R.T. Rybak and Dr. Arthur Kellerman. Photo by Donovan Marks.
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Photo by Donovan Marks.
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NCS Head of School Kathleen O'Neill Jamieson and Upper School Director Sarah Pelmas with Minneapolis Mayor R.T. Rybak.
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Social Sciences Teacher Andrew Riely with DC Police Chief Cathy Lanier.
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