Ceasing violence

T

he violence on the streets of Philadelphia is reprehensible. Already into the New Year, 25 murders have been committed. One of Temple’s own, 2010 alumnus Kevin Kless, was killed Jan. 14 after he was attacked in Old City. There are many explanations for rampant violence like limited access to educational resources, poverty and unemployment. However, this isn’t an excuse for the continued, excessive violence.Most are aware of this vicious cycle and want to make any effort possible to alleviate the violence that Philadelphia experiences, particularly, those that it directly affects.

As Dominique Johnson reports in “CeaseFire program introduces modified initiatives,” on page 7, Philadelphia CeaseFire, based at Temple’s medical school’s Center for Bioethics, Urban Health and Policy, has been in operation for six months and seeks to reduce the number of shootings in the 22nd district of North Philadelphia. The initiatives of CeaseFire are important because they are an attempt to reduce violence, through means other than increased police presence. While policing is helpful, it is essential to get to the core of the problem and find real solutions to reduce long-term gun violence.

The Temple News applauds Temple’s efforts to aid in reducing gun violence across the city. In 2006, Temple trauma surgeon Amy Goldberg and trauma outreach coordinator Scott Charles founded the Cradle to Grave program, showing young adults the reality and consequences of gun violence.

The police on Main Campus do everything in their power to make the confines of campus safer for students. Students must understand that Temple isn’t in a bubble and that violence plaguing the surrounding communities affects the quality of life for everyone. For this reason, the efforts of CeaseFire are beneficial to all who are a part of North Philadelphia’s community.