At the vigil, the crowd began to chant "DO SOMETHING!" So I am.
August 4, 2019 is a day I’ll never forget. That was the day a man with an assault weapon and a 100-round drum magazine ravaged the city of Dayton, Ohio. My city of Dayton. He killed nine people and wounded another 17 in just 32 seconds.
Dealing with the aftermath of this horrific act of violence was one of the hardest things I had to do in my eight years serving as Dayton’s mayor. So much of that weekend has burned into my memory. I remember crying mothers who just learned their child had been murdered. I remember the smell of bleach as men in hazmat suits cleaned blood off the sidewalks.
The night after the shooting, I was standing on stage at a candlelight vigil in front of thousands of friends and neighbors. The emotions in the air were palpable. When Governor DeWine rose to speak, the crowd began to chant “do something!”
Do something.
Since that moment, I’ve done everything in my power to heed that cry from the people in my community.
If we’re going to truly address this epidemic of gun violence, each and every one of us must do something. That can certainly mean passing legislation, but those small actions matter just as much. Have that difficult conversation with a loved one. Educate your friend about the dangers of owning a gun before they make a purchase they may regret.
