Turning Grief Into Advocacy -Albany, New York

Albany Mother Takes a Stand Against Gun Violence

From time to time we point out how much we value and thank victims of gun violence who become activists to reduce firearm death and injury.

There are so many victims of gun violence: the person killed or injured, the families, the friends, the devastated communities, etc. A gunshot is like a ripple that spreads out over a wide area.

Allison Banks of Albany, New York, is still mourning the gun death of her 24-year-old son, Dushan. But that hasn’t kept her from advocating for gun control.

According to an Albany article, “After her son died, Banks joined Albany's Gun Violence Task Force and the Capital Region chapter of New Yorkers Against Violence. She said she'll keep fighting for justice.”

Turning grief into advocacy takes courage and perseverance. Those of us who are fortunate enough not to have personally known gun violence can emulate the strength and fortitude of those who have, people such as Allison Banks.

The Albany report notes:

Gun Violence Task Force Co-Chair Rev. Dr. Edward B. Smart said, "Our future is at stake. These young people who are getting killed. These families that are getting ripped apart because justice is not being served. We think that we all ought to be concerned about this."

They say getting community members to line up to take a stand against gun crimes is the first step to stopping them from seeing more police lines from hanging in the neighborhood.

That is something that we can all support by not being silent. Our voices need to be heard loud and strong.