TIME: After Trayvon

When Aurora happened, when tucson happened and certainly when Newtown happened, we as a country launched a heartfelt conversation about gun violence, gun safety and the use of weapons. We lurch from tragedy to tragedy to tragedy, trying to figure out what to do along the way.


Our priorities are askew. Our leaders talk a lot about international terrorism. I often talk about domestic terrorists, by which I mean not foreign nationals plotting violence on these shores but the day-to-day crime that is even more devastating to our cities than the episodic threats from overseas. My focus comes from my experiences and the buildup of living all my life in West Philadelphia and Wynnefield, and as a city-council member and then later as mayor, attending numerous funerals and talking to moms and dads who have lost their children and other loved ones to senseless acts of violence.



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If we get this right, everyone would be involved. We need a partnership among cities, states and federal agencies; the corporate community; the philanthropic community; the religious community; the social-advocacy community--all working toward helping African-American men and boys. We can no longer operate in silos. We have to work in a concerted, holistic and comprehensive effort to deal with these issues.

We are way past the time of just talking. What we really need is action. I know that President Obama cares about these issues, but as powerful as the President of the United States is, he will need a lot of folks to rally with him to work toward solutions. It will require folks to have open minds and open hearts and, more than anything, to be dedicated to change.





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