Too Many T-shirts

Too many guns.

Driving down busy City Avenue in Philadelphia, I drove past Overbook Presbyterian Church and saw a colorful, gut-wrenching display on their corner. Each T-shirt represent a victim of illegal gun violence in Philadelphia in the past year.

It’s called Memorial to the Lost, and each shirt represents a life. All ages. All ethnicities. The church has been doing this for 8 years, always right before Martin Luther King Day.

Friends back in the Midwest have asked : “Are you OK? There’s so much gun death in Philadelphia.” Get outta here with your judgement! It should be no secret that gun violence is a nationwide problem. And don’t get me started on small towns: “The most rural counties had a 25% higher overall firearm death rate than the most urban counties, …. The rural counties also had a 54% higher gun suicide death rate and a 50% lower gun homicide death rate.”

TOO MANY GUNS

Philadelphia District Attorney, Larry Krasner said: “For every gun that is taken off the street by police — and this is according to both PPD and the state AG’s Office, at least Pennsylvania — there are two or three guns that are legally purchased from gun shops to replace them. And that doesn’t even count the ghost guns, doesn’t even count the illegal gun market, which is enormous.”

At her inauguration, Philly’s new Mayor, Cherelle Parker, issued an executive order declaring a state of emergency on public safety. She’s started off in dynamic fashion and people are hopeful for her success in reducing the numbers, which are already dropping. In 2021 there were 562 deaths; 2022 saw 514, and in 2023, down to 408. Thankfully, gun deaths in 2023 have dropped in other cities like Chicago, Los Angeles, and Atlanta.

I don’t have the answers to solve the issue. But what struck me was Overbrook’s bright colorful display… it draws you in, but its meaning is devastating, a reminder we have a long way to go to achieve a more civilized society.