1 year ago
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In conjunction with National Gun Violence Awareness Day, the Birmingham Urban League organized an event at Kelly Ingram Park to share stories of those who have lost loved ones to gun violence. Jefferson County District Attorney Danny Carr spoke to the crowd and shared the story of losing his own brother to gun violence."My motivation is to make sure it's understood that I overcame it," D.A. Carr explains. "And at the same time, I still deal with it. And at the same time, I live my life for the purpose of making him proud."The president and CEO of Birmingham's Urban League, William Barnes, has been personally impacted by gun violence too. He lost his longtime friend, Birmingham PD Sgt. Wytasha Carter, who was shot and killed in the line of duty in January 2019."And he was a person that would take his shirt off the back to give it to me," Barnes recalls. "And so you know, when I heard about that story of a police officer being shot and again, that's gun violence as well. Police officers are people too."Organizers of Saturday's rally in Kelly Ingram Park say what they absolutely don't want is for the community to become numb to gun violence and the lives lost as a result."We want to make sure that our elected officials are continuing to push forward and put together plans that will help address this issue," Barnes adds. The district attorney says he hopes by speaking at events like the one on Saturday, he can motivate young people to avoid acts of gun violence."But also, to motivate the parents," Carr points out. "To understand that you cannot be your child's best friend. You can't be afraid for your child to be upset with you."Carr says it's OK for parents to discipline their kids because he says when they do that, it actually gives kids a fighting chance at life.
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. —
In conjunction with National Gun Violence Awareness Day, the Birmingham Urban League organized an event at Kelly Ingram Park to share stories of those who have lost loved ones to gun violence.
Jefferson County District Attorney Danny Carr spoke to the crowd and shared the story of losing his own brother to gun violence.
"My motivation is to make sure it's understood that I overcame it," D.A. Carr explains. "And at the same time, I still deal with it. And at the same time, I live my life for the purpose of making him proud."
The president and CEO of Birmingham's Urban League, William Barnes, has been personally impacted by gun violence too. He lost his longtime friend, Birmingham PD Sgt. Wytasha Carter, who was shot and killed in the line of duty in January 2019.
"And he was a person that would take his shirt off the back to give it to me," Barnes recalls. "And so you know, when I heard about that story of a police officer being shot and again, that's gun violence as well. Police officers are people too."
Organizers of Saturday's rally in Kelly Ingram Park say what they absolutely don't want is for the community to become numb to gun violence and the lives lost as a result.
"We want to make sure that our elected officials are continuing to push forward and put together plans that will help address this issue," Barnes adds.
The district attorney says he hopes by speaking at events like the one on Saturday, he can motivate young people to avoid acts of gun violence.
"But also, to motivate the parents," Carr points out. "To understand that you cannot be your child's best friend. You can't be afraid for your child to be upset with you."
Carr says it's OK for parents to discipline their kids because he says when they do that, it actually gives kids a fighting chance at life.
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