A Word from Rabbi Schulman - 6/3/16

During my sabbatical, I took time to reflect about priorities in my life. When it comes to issues about which I am deeply concerned, the epidemic of gun violence in our country rises to the top.

Wednesday’s shooting of two police officers in Fremont as well as a murder-suicide on the campus of UCLA remind me that no city, no campus no neighborhood, and no home is beyond the threat of gun violence in the hands of criminals and the mentally insane.

Murder; mass shootings; accidental death by a child discovering an unlocked gun at home – it’s too easy to grow numb to daily accounts we encounter in the media. I know that my own attention to the constant pain and horror is fleeting.

But there is strength in joining with others to address the epidemic of gun violence in our country. Yesterday I wore an orange polo shirt. So did many others across our nation. June 2 was National Gun Violence Awareness Day.

Orange is the color hunters wear in nature so that they do not become an accidental target. This color has now been adopted for the broader purpose of serving as a symbol of solidarity for victims of gun violence – and for raising consciousness that we can act to make our nation safer.

Wearing orange yesterday was only a step. Please let me know if you want to join me in advocating for a more secure and sane society