Gun violence is an undeniable issue for Louisville. When will we do something? | Editorial
Five mass shootings have happened in Louisville in 2023 so far.
At Old National Bank downtown on Monday, April 10, five were killed and eight more were injured.
At Chickasaw Park on Saturday, April 15, two were killed and at least four were injured.
On Fourth Street near a business on Wednesday, May 10, one person was killed and four were injured.
In the Russell neighborhood on Wednesday, Aug. 16, four people were injured.
At Southern Restaurant and Lounge, on Sunday, Aug. 27, two were killed and five were injured.
A total of 288 people have been shot in Louisville in 2023 as of Aug 22.
The community has grieved, citizens have rallied and politicians have offered thoughts, prayers and ideological arguments.
But what are we going to do about gun violence?
Gun violence is everyone's issue. No one is immune to its effects. It touches every race, gender and socioeconomic status in our community. These five mass shootings show us that.
What is the plan to address the gun violence plaguing our city? That's the question The Courier Journal asked Chief Gwinn-Villaroel and Mayor Craig Greenberg after this latest mass shooting.
Spokesperson Kevin Trager responded with short-term items such as budgeting for more lighting and cameras in public spaces to discourage bad actors. The city also just hired a new director for the Group Violence Intervention program who will be tasked with direct outreach to known gang members in Louisville.
And questions shouldn't stop with our city's leaders...
The mayor's other items require cooperation from our legislators including asking for more funding to support the retention and recruitment of more officers, asking for more autonomy for Louisville when it comes to gun laws as well as asking the general assembly to go to court to fight for a state wiretap law so LMPD can solve violent crimes more quickly. It is too soon, with too few details, to see how Greenberg's ideas will pan out, but they serve to move the conversation forward.
How do our representatives and senators in the state legislature plan to collaborate with Mayor Greenberg to protect the citizens they have been elected to represent? The community eagerly awaits the 2024 Kentucky General Assembly to see exactly where our elected officials' priorities lie.
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Proposed bills must be more productive than 2023’s “2nd Amendment Sanctuary” Bill HB 153, which passed to prohibit local law enforcement agencies in Kentucky from enforcing federal firearm regulations.
We have heard the thoughts and prayers. We have watched and listened as politicians point fingers and double down on their respective ideologies. What Kentucky needs are ideas for solutions that operationalize stances on gun laws into productively reducing the violence in our communities.
Will Beshear or Cameron act on guns and enact change?
Instead of spouting “guns don’t kill people, people kill people,” lawmakers must show us legislation that allocates resources to address the data-supported root causes of violence. Conversely, if lawmakers do believe getting guns off the streets is step one while we work on violence-adjacent contributing concerns, then please show the community those pre-written bills.
We know that gun laws can happen without infringing on law-abiding gun owners' constitutional rights. We've seen it happen in Florida. In 2018, Florida passed the bipartisan Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School Public Safety Act, which was named for the high school in Parkland, Florida, where 17 people were killed and another 17 were injured in a shooting on Valentines Day that same year.
Kentucky statehouse leaders must also work together and listen to community needs instead of entrenching themselves in their respective political camps. We have to have the hard conversations and we must find common ground for progress because people are dying.
Gun violence is preventable. We must show up and demand common sense gun regulations.
Gov. Andy Beshear and gubernatorial candidate Daniel Cameron also need to voice their plans. Gov. Beshear let the 2nd Amendment Sanctuary Bill pass. Not with his signature, but not with his veto either. It simply passed. Cameron has said that he would push for wiretapping legislation. The community must know how the governor, as our state’s highest elected official, intends to work to reduce gun violence in our communities.
Kentucky needs solutions, not more ideological fighting. Gun violence touches everyone, and it is time for Kentucky to feel safe again. Voters must consider this issue when filling out their ballot in November. We all have a part in the solution. It is time for violence-reducing legislation and community programs to be top priority for our neighborhoods, our state house and our country.
The Courier Journal Editorial Board. Bonnie Jean Feldkamp is the Opinion Editor and can be reached at BFeldkamp@Gannett.com.
This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: Another Louisville shooting begs question: Will gun laws ever change?
