Gun violence hits home

Gun violence is nothing new to North Carolina. More than 1,000 people are killed annually in this state due to gun violence, and an additional 3,000 are injured, according to North Carolinians Against Gun Violence.

North Carolina is contributing to gun violence in other states, too. In recent years it’s been one of the top interstate suppliers for guns used in crimes in other states.

Gun violence has touched all of us nationwide through the tragedy in Newtown, Conn.

The execution of 20 children and 6 adults in the one place that should have been their safe haven was a traumatic experience not only for the families of that community, but also for millions watching and reading coverage of the horrible events that took place inside the walls of Sandy Hook Elementary School.

The tragedy that took place in that suburban community about 80 miles from New York City is one that shouldn’t be forgotten.

But even though this instance has ignited an important national discussion about gun violence and control, it is significant to note that this certainly wasn’t our first bout with tragedy served cold by the barrel of a gun.

It’s not just mass shootings like those in Newtown, Aurora, Colo., or Tucson, Ariz., that should bring us to our knees in sorrow and cause us to question the very laws and lawmakers that made those situations possible.

Every day there are young lives lost, in poorer urban centers like Chicago, New Orleans, Philadelphia and even neighboring Durham.

The UNC community has time and time again been affected by gun violence, too.

Most recently, sophomore Danielle Jameison survived a shooting that left her half-brother and mother dead. Her mother was found to be the sole assailant.

And although most of us hadn’t even set foot on campus yet, the 2008 murder of then-Student Body President Eve Carson is etched into our memories, and her legacy lives within each of us who call Chapel Hill home.

The aforementioned incidents shook our own community — but where was the outcry for gun reform?

When inner city mothers lose their fourth child to violent gun crime, where is their national support?

We must not forget that victims of gun crime come in all colors and belong to different social classes.

All lives lost are equally important to the gun control debate.

Regardless of whether the victims of these crimes become household names through horrible tragedy that gains national coverage or remain obscure in a crime that fails to make headlines, these victims are at the crux of the gun control debate.

Notorious criminals and crimes aren’t the only ones that yield victims of gun violence. We must remember that gun violence comes at a precious cost no matter the size of the tragedy.