Dear Editor,

As of May 18, our country marked its 227^th mass shooting of 2023. Three of those shootings were in Michigan. The daily horror, long-term impact, grief and devastation of the Oxford High School shooting still reverberates in our community. This year, the United States has averaged more than one mass shooting per day, according to the Gun Violence Archive. The growing list of tragedies underscores a troubling trend in the U.S.—firearms are the leading cause of death in children between ages 1 and 19, according to the Kaiser Family Foundation data.

As a member of Christ the Redeemer Catholic Community’s Peace and Justice Committee, we are committed to educating, facilitating and advocating for common-sense gun safety. Over 350 of our parishioners signed letters addressed to Michigan legislators in support of this approach.

We urge your readers to join us in supporting Gun Violence Awareness Month in June by wearing orange, speaking out about common-sense gun safety and contacting their local legislators. Together, our voices can generate the necessary changes that will help every citizen feel safe again.

Susan Hiltz Carroll,

Oxford