"Woman Shot" – Really!
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This is too much!!! What is going on in West Michigan when "woman shot" is constantly a media headline? Here are a few recent examples:
• August 28, 2023 – A 24-yearold woman was shot and killed in Muskegon.
• August 27, 2023 – A woman was shot multiple times in Grand Rapids.
• August 17, 2023 – A woman was shot and killed in a suspected domestic violence incident.
• July 1, 2023 – A woman was shot in the back while driving in Grand Rapids.
• May 31, 2023 – GRPD reported a woman shot and killed downtown Grand Rapids.
• May 20, 2023 – A woman is in stable condition after being shot in Grand Rapids.
• December 28, 2022 – A woman was shot and killed the day after Christmas in Grand Rapids.
I don't know about all of you, but gun violence makes no sense to me, and gun violence against unsuspecting women seems especially tragic. During a Senate hearing in 2014, it was reported that "American women are 11 times more likely to be killed with guns than women in any other industrialized country" – Really!!! They clarified that statistic by saying "women in the United States account for 84 percent of all female firearm victims in the developed world." Also, according to the National Institute for Health, "female victims of gun violence are increasing, and recent years have been marked with higher rates of firearm injuries, particularly among younger women." Houston, we really have a problem because gun violence against women has devastating consequences, and we need to do something about it.
Many but not all cases of gun violence against women are often tied to domestic violence. Everytown for Gun Safety reports that "In the U.S., the crisis of domestic violence is closely linked to the widespread and growing use of guns by abusers. Two-thirds of women killed by an intimate partner are killed with a gun." Also, a recent study by the Education Fund to Stop Gun Violence found that women living in homes with one or more guns were more than three times more likely to be victims of gun violence. Some of the stories behind the headlines above and these statistics really show that guns and domestic violence often lead to tragic outcomes. Whether the woman knew the person who shot her or not, women seem to be often victims of gun violence. I don't know all the circumstances behind the headlines above, but some are random, and we all know bullets have no names. In any case, innocent women and children seem to be collateral damage in the gun control standoff.
Furthermore, even more tragic are the deaths of young mothers who leave behind young children. These women, in the prime of their lives, are taken away from their children and families, leaving a hole that cannot be filled. When I was young, one of my aunts was murdered by her significant other, and she had two young kids. They came to live with us, and my mom tried to fill the void, but they were forever affected by the loss of their mother, and they both also died at a young age. The cycle of trauma continues as the children of murdered women are forever shaped by the absence of their primary nurturer. We have to address gun violence because of the intergenerational effects it has on families.
I am trying to keep this article general, but I know that there are names, lives, and loved ones attached to every one of the headlines above. Behind each news headline is a unique story and a person with dreams, aspirations, family, and friends who are forever impacted by gun violence. I acknowledge the pain, suffering, and loss of life, and I am truly sorry.
In conclusion, I do want to circle back to my initial question: what is going on in West Michigan? The headlines indicate that we urgently need to address this issue. I admit that I don't have the answer, but I know that we need to work together to come up with solutions to prevent domestic violence and violence against women, and one way is to have better gun control laws. Really!!!
Sophia Brewer (M.L.I.S.) is Collection Development and Serials Librarian, Grand Rapids Community College; Co-President of the Greater Grand Rapids History Council; member of the Grand Rapids Study Club and serves on the Grand Rapids Public Library, Board of Library Commissioners (Elected 2016-2021). She is a former Head of Programs, Grand Rapids Public Library and former Branch Manager, Madison Square Branch, Grand Rapids Public Library Congresswoman
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