OPINION | 'We Are Here and We Care' — But We Must Do More

by Dr. Stephan Blanford

Last week, I attended the "We Are Here and We Care" event at Garfield High School. Hundreds of parents and community leaders gathered on the Central District campus to warmly welcome Garfield students back into the building after a classmate was shot and killed in front of the school last week. It was a somber affair, filling many attendees with profound regret about actions not taken and leaving folks with deep sadness and resolve. As a parent of a recently graduated Garfield student, and as a former elected school board director and community member who cares about all 1.7 million children in our state, I am heartbroken any time that violence affects our children. But I feel an even greater sense of responsibility when it's a kid from my neighborhood.

As we have seen over and over again, from Columbine to Sandy Hook to Uvalde, and countless incidents like the one at Garfield — where the death toll is smaller but no less devastating to families and communities — the easy accessibility of firearms in our society means that no child is safe from gun violence. The most current data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) indicates that firearms are the leading cause of death for children ages 1 to 19 years old, taking the lives of more than 4,000 children every year. Shockingly, more than 4.5 million children across the country live in homes where at least one gun is loaded and unlocked — a fact that should move every parent to action, whether a gun owner or not. And, as one might expect, the risks to children are not equally distributed. For a variety of historical and current reasons, Black children and teens are 17 times more likely to die from gun violence than their white peers.

All of these national statistics are particularly troubling here in Washington because they are heightened by the crisis in youth and teen behavioral, emotional, and mental health. Our state is significantly above the national average in the number of children and teens suffering from self-reported anxiety, depression, and suicidality. At present, only 1 in 5 teens are able to access effective care because of stigmas attached to seeking it and because of costs or unavailability of care. Veteran teachers and school administrators have shared with me that conditions have never been worse in their schools and far too many are choosing to leave the profession rather than deal with the chaos that they are seeing in their classrooms and school buildings.

I hope that everyone that was shocked by this recent shooting will demand immediate action, at all levels, to address the risks facing children, their families, and communities by the glut of guns and violence in our state. The Washington State Legislature has recently passed modest gun control legislation, but more is needed. Bills are being drafted to begin to address the inadequacies of our behavioral health system, but they face opposition from fiscal conservatives and "Moms for Liberty" type organizations who believe schools shouldn't play a role in improving the emotional health of our children. Most of our state's Congressional delegation, as well as most local officials, will all be on the ballot in November. You should know their stance on these critical issues and hold them accountable for action when you cast your ballot.

We have all become too complacent in confronting the gun lobby and those who are allowing this carnage to occur in our schools and on our streets. The community that I live in is now grieving, grappling with an unimaginable reality that one of our innocent children was gunned down for trying to break up a fight. Let's all resolve to take action, so no one else, or no other community, has to contend with the sadness and regret that mine is now feeling.

The South Seattle Emerald is committed to holding space for a variety of viewpoints within our community, with the understanding that differing perspectives do not negate mutual respect amongst community members.

The opinions, beliefs, and viewpoints expressed by the contributors on this website do not necessarily reflect the opinions, beliefs, and viewpoints of the Emerald or official policies of the Emerald.

📸 Featured Image: A Garfield High student leaves an offering at a memorial for Amarr Murphy-Paine on June 11, 2024. (Photo: Susan Fried)