This Thanksgiving, a few dozen Chicago families will be one child short at the dinner table due to gun and/or gang violence in our city.
As of August, 36 city children had been murdered. A 13-year-old public school student then told the Chicago Sun-Times, "I'm angry, and I'm scared at the same time. I'm mad because we can't do certain things. I'm sad because innocent people are getting shot."
I know the devisive power of the Second Amendment and gun ownership debate. I know that we don't need more partisan bickering at a time when our country is attempting to come together to rescue our economy and end our dependence on foreign oil and restore our reputation around the world.
But this issue cannot be forgotten, cannot be ignored because of how painfully disturbing it is to discuss or think about. Regardless of our personal stances on gun ownership, we all must agree that something must be done to protect our children from becoming another victim of gun violence.
I know President-elect Obama's stance on gun ownership is misunderstood by many. He maintains that he supports the Second Amendment, but also supports "common sense" gun control. In April 2008, he shared the following in an interview with the Sun-Times:
"My view continues to be that the constitution, I believe, does provide a right to bear arms; but that local communities, and state governments, as well as the federal government, have a right to common-sense regulations and firearm ownership [rules.] The truth is, obviously, the ban here in Chicago, the ban in D.C. is not keeping the guns out of our cities, and so I'm interested in just figuring out what works and I'm confident we can come up with laws that work and that pass constitutional muster and don't infringe on the rights of lawful gun owners whether it's in Downstate Illinois or rural Montana."
Recently, the tragic murder of Jennifer Hudson's nephew Julian King, age seven, thrust the issue of gun violence into the headlines once more. King was just one of many victims, and simply because these stories do not make the headlines everyday does not mean the problem has subsided or lessened. Waiting until a shooting happens to consider "doing something" is too late.
I hope that, coming from our city, President-elect Obama will keep this issue on his priority list among the other challenges confronting our nation. Unlike Sarah Palin, I believe that all of America has heart, and our cities are an essential component of what makes our nation great.
Please, regardless of your view on the Second Amendment, support initiatives that will make our schools, streets, cities, and homes safer for all of our children and for us. When you sit around the table with your loved ones on Thursday, remember how blessed you are to be able to do so, and consider what you can do to help yourself and others remain so blessed.