Rep. Bobby Rush (D-Ill.)

In contrast, the total number of American casualties in Iraq, over the entire span of the war (five years), is about 4,155 and for Afghanistan, it’s at least 500. The combined total of casualties for Iraq and Afghanistan is less than 5,000 since both wars began.

In February of this year, on the floor of the United States Congress, I began detailing the stories of the “Daily 45,” victims who represent just a small snapshot of those who have been cut down by gunfire. Around the time I started memorializing the “Daily 45,” my staff had reached out to another crusader against gun violence that had been prominently featured in a Washington Post article.

After our first meeting with Kenny Barnes and Mustafa Ali of Reach Out to Others Together, Inc. (ROOT) we knew we had an ally. Through ROOT’s involvement in programs such as the “Guns Aside” campaign and other violence prevention initiatives, it was clear that we shared the same level of urgency. And when Barnes approached me about creating a national, community-based gun violence prevention model, my office quickly began to draft legislation that incorporated the most important aspects of this concept.

The Communities in Action Neighborhood Defense and Opportunity (CAN DO) bill is an attempt to provide a comprehensive, community-oriented approach to address the issue of gun violence, especially as it affects our youth. The object is to accurately frame the issue of gun violence as a matter of public safety, rather than as a Second Amendment issue or strictly a gun control issue, while also addressing the root causes of the violence.

The CAN DO bill offers strategies to not only go after those who kill and terrorize our youth and citizens with strict law enforcement tactics, but also to provide the mental health, counseling, employment opportunities, education and recreation services that are sorely lacking in many of our communities today. We want to change attitudes and behaviors regarding gun violence so that it is no longer acceptable to shoot first and ask questions later when disputes arise in our communities. We hope to restore the value of human life and dignity and offer those who need it most new opportunities to change their lives and become respected and productive members of society.

Our goal is to establish and cultivate a national grassroots campaign of elected officials, organizations, businesses, churches, schools, communities, and individuals who share our concern over the issue of gun violence and who are willing to work together to bring about change. This is precisely why I am extremely supportive of the State of the Black World Conference and would like to lend my strong endorsement to the efforts that this conference promotes. I encourage all like-minded organizations and individuals who share a passion about the issue of reducing gun violence to participate in this conference taking place in New Orleans in November, and join with those of us who are fighting to make a change. This conference will provide an opportunity for groups that are already involved in anti-violence and “stop the violence” campaigns to meet and connect with other organizations doing the same type of work.

By now, we all realize that many of the problems we face in our communities will not be addressed if we sit and wait for someone else to solve them for us. Therefore, it is up to us to take the initiative and force action on these critical issues if we want to make the future safer for our children and communities.

Americans of conscience must come together to stop the senseless death of the “Daily 45.” The issue of gun violence is one of the most critical issues that affect our families and communities. When young students are struck down in the streets while simply walking to school or playing in their yards, then we must face the reality that we are living in an environment of domestic terrorism.

For those who would like more information on the CAN DO bill or other initiatives to address gun violence, please go to http://www/, or Kenny Barnes’ ROOT Inc. website, http://www/, to find more information on how you can get involved. Working together we can make a difference!

(Bobby L. Rush represents the First Congressional District in Illinois. He also lost a son to gun violence.)