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Description
From the Stated Meeting of Philadelphia City Council held January 23, 2020:
Councilmember Katherine Gilmore Richardson (At Large) makes remarks on the increase in gun violence in the City of Philadelphia.
A
Thank
You
mr.
president,
welcome
today
I
rise
to
thank
you
and
my
colleagues,
council
members,
Kenyatta
Johnson
and
Curtis
Jones
jr.
for
introducing
resolutions
regarding
the
ongoing
public
safety
and
gun
violence
crisis
we
are
facing
in
our
city
when
a
child
is
no
longer
safe
in
their
mother's
arms
in
their
own
home
or
when
someone
is
shot
on
Kelly
Drive
or
in
the
case
of
my
cousin,
John
William
Ross
jr.,
who
was
shot
and
killed
in
an
attempted
robbery
on
the
front
steps
of
his
home.
This
past
Saturday,
his
murder
marked
the
25th
homicide.
A
This
year
he
was
a
hard-working
man
who
took
care
of
his
family.
It
appears
no
measure
of
innocence
can
be
protected
from
senseless
gun
violence
as
a
mother
of
young
children.
The
idea
of
having
my
child's
precious
life
stolen
from
my
arms
is
unfathomable
and
I
cannot
accept
this
in
our
city
or
in
any
city.
A
With
children
and
families
living
in
terror,
we
need
to
act
quickly
to
be
able
to
call
ourselves
leaders
of
strong
moral
standing
in
order
to
stop
such
evil
from
occurring
again,
we
need
to
address
more
than
just
restrictions
on
physical
firearms.
We
need
to
take
preventive
action,
so
there
will
never
need
to
be
a
porch
covered
in
sympathy,
balloons
and
stuffed
animals
to
honor
another
life
going
far
too
soon.
A
Finally,
we
need
to
be
willing
to
hold
ourselves
accountable
for
our
family
friends
and
neighbors
when
they're
involved
in
criminal
activity.
I
hope
this
is
the
last
time
we
have
to
offer
I
thought
some
prayers
and
I
hope.
Last
night
was
my
last
time
attending
a
candlelight
vigil
Thank
You.
Mr.
president,.