As a retired Fleet Master Chief of the U.S. Navy, I dedicated 33 years to leading and mentoring young sailors, protecting those under my care. Now, as a civilian, I see a growing and deadly threat to our nation: gun violence. I’ve witnessed firsthand how gun violence devastates Black communities in Georgia and across the United States. It’s an epidemic that is tearing our children and families apart.
We are losing our children. Mass shootings have turned schools into places of terror instead of sanctuaries for learning. Yet former President Donald Trump, the Republican nominee for president, offers nothing but hollow rhetoric. He defends the Second Amendment, but at what cost? Are our children’s lives worth sacrificing to protect profits for gun manufacturers? Parents should not live in fear that their children won’t return from school.
Credit: Handout
Credit: Handout
At Tuesday night’s presidential debate, the first between Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris, he had nothing to say about gun reforms. Harris, meanwhile, said that as a gun owner, she’s not taking away everyone’s guns, but she has specific plans on how to help prevent mass shootings.
Trump’s approach to gun violence is unacceptable. He consistently prioritizes the gun lobby and its profits over the safety of our communities. Recently, after another tragic shooting in Georgia, Trump focused on regulating in vitro fertilization rather than addressing the real threat posed by military-style semiautomatic rifles. This negligence is unforgivable.
Gun violence is a national crisis and is especially harmful to Black communities. It’s not just mass shootings — it’s also everyday violence that tears families apart. Trump has repeatedly failed to act. Nearly 90% of Americans support common-sense measures like universal background checks and red flag laws, but Trump continues to ignore them. These solutions are not about infringing on Second Amendment rights; they’re about keeping guns out of the hands of dangerous people and protecting innocent lives.
As a Black man who has seen firsthand the devastating effects of gun violence, this issue strikes close to home for me. I grew up in a Black community where, though there wasn’t a constant backdrop of gun violence, tragedy could still strike without warning. I’ll never forget watching two of my friends get shot — once in the parking lot of a skating rink, and another outside a McDonald’s. Later in life, while stationed in cities like Philadelphia, Washington, D.C., San Diego and Oakland in my Navy career, I was again exposed to the harsh realities of gun violence. Each experience is a reminder that these senseless, preventable killings leave families and communities shattered.
The consequences of inaction are deadly. Every day we wait, more lives are lost. This is a uniquely American problem. No other developed country experiences the same scale of gun violence. Yet Trump’s refusal to act, despite overwhelming public support for reform, shows where his priorities lie — with gun manufacturers and their lobbyists, not with our children or communities. Americans demand action, but Trump continues to ignore the pleas of parents, educators and community leaders.
As a veteran, I understand the responsibility that comes with owning and using firearms. The military instills in its service members a deep respect for the power and danger of firearms. Yet, here at home, we’ve failed to translate that same sense of responsibility into our gun laws. Common-sense reforms aren’t about taking guns away from responsible owners; they’re about ensuring that guns don’t end up in the hands of people who seek to do harm.
Trump’s failure to act on gun violence is not leadership. It’s negligence. His inaction makes it clear that he values corporate profits over the lives of our children.
Our nation’s future depends on the safety and well-being of our children. We owe it to them to act. We owe it to them to demand better leadership.
Raymond D. Kemp Sr. is a U.S. Navy veteran who culminated 33 years of service as the Fleet Master Chief of Europe and Africa.
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