Congress Member Dan Goldman and Brooklyn Borough President Antonio Reynoso sat down with gun violence survivors for a roundtable discussion on Wednesday, Jan. 24.
Photo courtesy of the Office of Congress Member Dan Goldman
Survivors of gun violence and victims’ families came together with Brooklyn politicians on Wednesday for a roundtable discussion in honor of National Gun Violence Survivors Week.
Those who have lost loved ones to gun violence share their personal experiences and urged organizers Congress Member Dan Goldman and Brooklyn Borough President Antonio Reynoso to invest in local and federal solutions — including community resources, social support services and intervention programs.
“That’s one of my big takeaways from this terrific roundtable — going back and digging into what kind of programs there are for survivors and victims’ families,” Goldman told Brooklyn Paper. “Several of these survivors made very good points that it’s not only horrifically traumatic but it also has a trickle-down impact on the communities more broadly.”
Pam Hight, a Brooklyn mother and member of Moms Demand Action, told roundtable participants that she lost both of her sons to gun violence. She said it was her involvement in a mother’s support group that helped her through her grief.
“My heart is broken into pieces but I smile every day because this is what we do,” Hight said. “The face of a smile does not mean we aren’t broken inside.”
But the presence of support services doesn’t negate the need for more intervention programs that can prevent shootings before they occur, Hight said.
“We will keep fighting but we’re tired. We shouldn’t be killing each other,” she said. “We should be out here [with] double dutch, barbecues, block parties. We stopped all that. Now we have to look over our shoulders on the trains, on the buses, walking out our doors.”
Council Members Crystal Hudson and Alexa Avilés also…
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