What to do about these incidents of gun violence?

It's very frustrating to find that many headlines here in our fair city involved mainly gun violence usually over the course of a weekend or an extended holiday such as the recently passed 4th of July holidy. We recently found out that a 7-year-old boy had been shot at Cole Park while picnicking with his family. As it turns out he had been hit with a stray bullet as the shooter was actually attempting to shoot at a vehicle.

A shooting is enough of a problem, what's worse is that sometimes the shooter actually hits unintended targets such as the aforementioned boy. Unfortunately this increasingly happens in many of these violent incidents around the city.

I hate to add to the hyperbole of "I'm sick and tired of being sick and tired". At the same time a friend of mine noted a newspaper that focused on the incidents of gun violence during the course of the summer and added my own admitted soundbite. I basically said we reside in a city where our young people don't graduate from high school and the only way they think they can solve their problems is by using a gun.

Admittedly not only was that a sound bite, but it was overly simplistic. Although I do believe there is an education component to solving this problem. Certainly we're living in a time where due to academic, financial, and utilization issues many of our elementary schools are being closed.

To be sure I wish I knew if there was an answer to the issue of criminal gun violence. Also I recognize that there are many in our communities who rightfully points their fingers at our elected leaders who they may feel aren't doing enough to stem this problem. At the same time as citizens, surely there is something we can do to make ourselves safer.

There is discussion of positive loitering which could also involve for example a group of neighbors playing softball at a local park as was scheduled to happen at Cole Park the Sunday after the incident involving the boy. Of course Chatham residents also have a neighborhood watch patrol group keeping an eye on the community. Also there also is a peace/back to school rally to be scheduled in the near future as well.

May we continue to come up with positive solutions that will keep us safe.