NMPGV News:
Concerned citizens take on gun violence in New Mexico with a new website that highlights the lives of those shot and killed in New Mexico.
Yusef Lovato and Ron Schwartz have created a website that memorializes victims of gun violence in New Mexico. With the help of New Mexicans to Prevent Gun Violence, Lovato and Schwartz have spent countless hours researching and collecting the stories of those senselessly killed by guns in New Mexico.
“This invaluable new website will create much needed awareness on the issue of gun violence in New Mexico. In 2015, 405 people were shot and killed in our state. That is 405 too many,” said Miranda Viscoli, co-president of New Mexicans to Prevent Gun Violence. “New Mexico has some of the weakest gun laws in the country and some of the worst gun violence. That correlation is no coincidence.”
Lavato, an environmental activist and concerned citizen, describes his motivation for the website: “Out of frustration with the lack of progress in dealing with gun violence in this state and across the country, it occurred to us that an emotional appeal to the public might help. I thought that if the public could ‘feel’ and ‘see’ the consequences of gun violence, then maybe something might change. I asked Ron Schwartz to help me build this website to memorialize the victims. There are so many stories to tell, but thanks to New Mexicans to Prevent Gun Violence (NMPGV) who helped us track the stories, we are making a lot of progress. Sadly though, we are going to be very busy for a very long time.”
Schwartz, a retired history teacher, adds, “New Mexico is suffering from a gun violence epidemic. Guns are everywhere, often in the hands of people who shouldn’t have them. The news brings stories of shootings that feel relevant in my own life, from a murder within a block of my accountant’s office to witnessing a shootout/car chase on I-25. All gun deaths are relevant and have both a psychological and monetary cost to us whether we know the victim(s) or not. The Face of Gun Violence offers an opportunity to learn the personal stories of some of the victims while providing ideas for action that can make all of our lives safer.”
Visit the website at https:////www.thefaceofgunviolencenm.com/2015.html.