Hartford crime victim Aswad Thomas talks about recovery in Twitter video. Credit: Social media image / Aswad Thomas on social media
HARTFORD, CT – Survivors and advocates of gun violence gathered Tuesday at The Artists Collective in the city’s north end to draw attention to the harms of gun violence and also to suggest a different way to address the problem, focusing in healing and support.
The “Right to Heal” event was organized by Crime Survivors for Safety and Justice (CSSJ), a national nonprofit network of 187,000 crime survivors dedicated to advocating for a justice system that prioritizes healing, prevention and recovery. CSSJ is the flagship initiative of the Alliance for Security and Justice.
One of the speakers at the event, Aswad Thomas, was a survivor of gun violence in Hartford. Thomas spoke about his own experience being shot twice in the back during an attempted robbery in August 2009. His injuries ended a promising basketball career and he said one of the most traumatic aspects of being shot was receiving the discharge from the hospital. to the neighborhood where he was almost killed. That trauma, he said, impacted him and the young man who shot him.
“One of the teenagers who shot me was also a victim of gun violence. “That same doctor who saved my life also saved the life of that teenager,” he said.
Thomas said he wanted to help end the cycle of violence. After graduating from the University of Connecticut with a master’s degree in social work, she joined CSSJ. In later years, he became vice president of the Alliance for Security and Justice and national director of CSSJ.
Hartford is the first city on CSSJ’s “Right to Heal” tour, which will include stops in Atlanta, Detroit, Philadelphia and other locations around the country. The tour is designed to offer a unique venue for survivors, advocates and stakeholders to share their experiences, knowledge and public safety vision. Tours leading up to the first Crime Survivors Speak Out March in Washington later this year in September to push a right to heal political agenda.
One of the most traumatic aspects of being shot was being released from the hospital back to the neighborhood where he was almost killed. That trauma, he said, impacted him and the young man who shot him. thomas aswad
For Thomas and other advocates, healing is the key element to preventing gun violence. Policy proposals he and CSSJ are advocating for include trauma recovery centers for crime victims, funding for community organizations that provide peer support to victims, flexible victim assistance funds to help victims on their path to recovery and other policies. that prioritize service to victims over punishment of perpetrators.
The Right to Heal tour began in June, which is National Gun Violence Awareness Month. The United States continues to face a staggering number of deaths and injuries caused by firearms. According to the Gun Violence Archive, 18,854 people were killed by firearms in 2023, while 36,338 were injured by them. Those figures include both intentional and accidental firearms incidents. While the number of deaths and injuries caused by firearms has decreased since 2021, the numbers remain elevated relative to pre-pandemic levels.
Hartford has followed the national trend and seen a decrease in gun violence in the city in recent years. According to the Criminal Justice Council, the capital recorded 28 gun murders and 97 non-fatal shootings in 2023, lower than the figures for the last three years.
Thomas said decreasing gun violence is a good start, but more needs to be done.
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