“One Man’s Opinion”

I was online looking for stories for the NEW “Music Inner City News Magazine” and this story of course stood out for me as a African American in America and it’s a sad story folks. It truly is.

I saw this story that says gun violence has cut more than 4 years off the life expectancy of African Americans. A new research, that was led by a professor at the Boston University School of Medicine, looked at the federal data on gun deaths between 2000 and 2016.

The study showed that African Americans have lost 4.14 year of life expectancy due to gun violence, compared to white Americans who lost 2.23 years.

The folks at Boston University showed us that a big racial gap in the manner of death, and also the ages at which folks were killed in shootings. The study shows African Americans died much more due to homicide, many at young ages. Many getting killed BEFORE THEY ARE 20 YEARS OLD!! UNREAL!!

Also the study also said that their is a severe toll of gun violence in the U.S. along with longstanding and glaring racial differences in how it affects people.

Information in another study shows that between 2015 and 2016, a total of 27,394 people died in gun related deaths in the U.S. while a added 44,955 died in suicides. This study was published by the Center For Disease Control And Prevention.

A separate study conducted in 2000 that used more of a limited data set showed that shootings reduced the average American lifespan by about 100 days, with a HUGE gap between African American and white men. African American men lost 361.5 days while white men lost 150.7 days. WOW what a big difference ladies and gentlemen.

Here in 2018 and almost 2019 the racial gap remains. But firearm related life expectancy loss for ALL Americans is nine times greater in the new study than in the 2000 study.

For a long time lawmakers have tried to address shootings in urban communities by having more police in the communities. But more police is NOT going to solve this terrible problem. Sorry to say folks but a lot of violence in the urban areas are “black on black” crimes. Folks are just pulling out their guns and firing to solve sometimes small problems.

In ending, WE HAVE TO STOP THE VIOLENCE AND INCREASE THE PEACE!! To many young people are leaving us!! Real talk!!