Keep Communities Safe

Every time there’s another mass shooting, we go through the same pattern.

Shock. Grief. Anger.

Then nothing changes.

I’ve stood in the pulpit the Sunday after one of those tragedies, trying to find words. I’ve talked to parents who are afraid to send their kids to school. I’ve watched teachers turn their classrooms into fortresses.

And I’ve asked the same question a lot of people are asking:

Why are we still living like this?

I’m running for Congress because we should be free to feel safe in our schools, our neighborhoods, and our places of worship.

Right now, too many people don’t.

And that’s not inevitable. It’s the result of decisions being made in Washington.

We’ve chosen not to act.

Here’s what needs to change:

• Background checks should apply to every gun sale

• Safe storage should be the standard, not the exception

• Weapons designed for mass harm should not be this easy to access

• And we need laws that allow intervention when someone is a danger to themselves or others

These are steps that reduce violence and save lives.

And we know they work.

Let me be clear. I respect responsible gun ownership. I’ve known gun owners my whole life.

But the right to own a gun should never outweigh a child’s right to live.

We don’t have to choose between rights and safety.

We’ve just chosen not to act like both matter.

Too many politicians are afraid of the gun lobby. They take money from groups that profit off fear. And they tell us nothing can be done.

That’s not leadership.

That’s a decision to accept the status quo.

As a pastor, I’ve walked with families in mourning. I’ve led funerals that never should have happened. I’ve seen what gun violence does to a community, not just in the moment, but long after.

It changes how people live.

Parents worry every time their kids leave the house. Teachers think about exits instead of lesson plans. Churches lock their doors during worship.

That’s not safety.

That’s fear.

And we don’t have to accept it.

Keeping communities safe means taking real, responsible steps to reduce violence. It means standing up to special interests. It means putting people ahead of politics.

Because this isn’t about ideology.

It’s about whether we are willing to protect each other.

Our kids deserve to grow up without fear. Our teachers deserve safe classrooms. Our communities deserve peace of mind.

And we have the ability to make that real.

The only question is whether we will.