Letters to the Editor: Gun violence will outlast the pandemic. A bill to tax guns and ammo can stop it

Los Angeles Times Opinion
·2 min read
Detectives with the Los Angeles Police Department on Thursday afternoon were investigating a homicide in Encino that may be linked to a nearby assault, police said. At 11:50 a.m., LAPD officers and paramedics responded to a report of a man with lacerations on his arm near the intersection of Ventura Boulevard and White Oak Avenue, said Officer Jader Chaves, an LAPD spokesman. The man was taken by ambulance to a hospital.
Los Angeles police officers and firefighters secure the scene of a homicide in Encino on March 19. (OnScene.TV)

To the editor: As The Times states, gun violence, just like COVID-19, is a public health crisis. We have seen an increase of gun homicides and gun suicides in our communities. More guns are entering into the hands of minors who are influenced by gang initiation. ("Startling surge in L.A. bloodshed as COVID-19 fades: 'Too many guns in too many hands,'" May 4)

Our communities need access to resources to assist and empower our youth, adults and families experiencing homelessness. Our children need programs to encourage and nurture their dreams by reframing their attitudes, behaviors and beliefs. California Violence Intervention and Prevention (CalVIP) funds programs that stop violence before it happens and helps families move forward.

My son died because of gun violence, and I want to save other families from that pain. This is why I urge Gov. Newsom to fund CalVIP at $114 million and request that California lawmakers pass Assembly Bill 1223, a tax on guns and ammunition that would sustainably fund CalVIP for years to come.

Tameco Brewster, Norwalk

The writer is the founder of the group Movement of Mourning Mothers Assn.

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To the editor: It is difficult to follow crime and policing actions in this city and state.

Last year, a sudden call for police defunding in Los Angeles was met by Mayor Eric Garcetti kneeling with protesters. He then succeeding in reducing the LAPD budget by $150 million.

In another arena, state officials continue making proposals to reduce the prison population. The difference this time is secrecy, as noted by The Times, and adding violent offenders to those being considered for get-out-of-jail cards. People who testified against these convicts must feel like fools.

And now, we read about six shooting deaths in Los Angeles this past weekend. Maybe we will once again compete for the title of most dangerous city in the nation.

Warren Larson, Sunland

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.