Gun Violence Part 1 | 5.16.21

No More Normal

As of Friday, May 14, there have been nearly 16,000 deaths due to guns so far this year in the United States, according to data from Gun Violence Archive. Last year, the COVID-19 pandemic, protests about racial equity, and the general election dominated our attention, but that doesn’t mean that other serious matters like gun violence disappeared. Data from the archive shows that nearly 20,000 Americans died by guns last year—the highest total number of deaths in at least the last two decades. The problem didn’t go away. Our attention did. In episode 29 we take a look at the problem of gun violence in America, where we stand and what can be done about it.

GUESTS:

• Jillian Peterson—co-founder and president, The Violence Project (Off-Ramp Project)
• Miranda Viscoli—co-president, New Mexicans To Prevent Gun Violence
• Tim Quinn—spokesperson, Gun Control Australia

RESOURCES:

• AGORA CRISIS CENTER - 505-277-3013 - ONLINE CHAT ROOM
• NM CRISIS HOTLINE - 1-855-N-M-CRISIS
• NM WARMLINE - 1-855-4NM-7100

SPECIAL THANKS TO:

• Our guests for sharing their experience and expertise with us
• Kaveh Mowahed for pitching in with editing help
• Jazztone the Producer, Cheo, Dahm Life, Business School, Sun Dog, and Oh Lawd Records for providing music for the show. Khaki, Pope Yesyeyall, and Bigawatt produced some of the show's themes.

Taylor is one of the very best and brightest we've seen come through the newsroom, and she's really chill about it, too. No ego. Just elbow grease. She worked so hard on No More Normal and in the newsroom during the pandemic. We are really going to miss her. This week, she took her last finals, graduated from UNM and co-hosted the show with Khalil.

Good luck to you, Taylor, in all of life's pursuits. You truly ROCK!!!!!

*****

No More Normal is brought to you by Your New Mexico Government, a collaboration between KUNM, New Mexico PBS and the Santa Fe Reporter. Funding for our coverage comes from the New Mexico Local News Fund, the Kellogg Foundation and KUNM listeners like you, with support for public media provided by the Thornburg Foundation.

We dedicate this and every episode to the memory of Hannah Colton. We love and miss you Hannah.