Latest news with #Muldrow
Yahoo
01-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Wisconsinites seek model from Tennesseans on bipartisan conversations about guns
More than 100 people attended the event at the Overture Center for the Arts in Madison, which included a screening of the documentary about the Tennesseeans' journey and a panel discussion with two of the participants and a handful of Wisconsinites. Photo by Baylor Spears/Wisconsin Examiner. Madison School Board member Ali Muldrow said people who work in education know that the 'worst day' is when children get hurt in school. 'When the Abundant Life shooting happened, which was at a private Christian School very close to my home, it was just a really horrible day, and I think I realized it's too late to talk about this,' Muldrow said. 'It's been too late and we can't keep letting it be too late.' A teacher and student were killed and six others were injured by a 15-year-old who brought a gun to Abundant Life Christian School, a private school in Madison, in December 2024. It is the deadliest school shooting on record in Wisconsin. The shooting made national headlines, but it is just one example of children harmed by gun violence. According to the K-12 School Shooting Database, there were 332 school shootings in 2024. A 2024 report by Johns Hopkins Center for Gun Violence Solutions found firearms continue to be a leading cause of death for children and teens, and those who are Black are disproportionately the victims Muldrow, who is running unopposed for another term on the Board this spring, said measures taken to try to prevent shooting deaths at school have not been enough. 'All of the things that we've done to our students haven't resolved this issue — whether it's practicing and having drills or whether it's making our schools harder places to get into,' Muldrow said. 'None of that changes the reality that a 15-year-old went into their school, two guns, and killed multiple people, including themselves.' Students from Madison Metropolitan School District walked out of class in December and marched to the state Capitol to demand something be done about gun violence. 'They asked for two things,' Muldrow said. 'They asked for laws related to gun storage and gun safety, and they asked for more mental health support within their education.' Muldrow said that adults should 'honor' the demands of the students and build bridges across political divides to get the work done. She said having conversations is an important starting point. In the aftermath of the Madison school shooting, Muldrow said she wanted to organize an event to inspire people in the community to feel capable of making change. She turned to a group that tried to find solutions after a school shooting took place about two years ago and more than 620 miles away. Tennesseans were left reeling in 2023 after a shooter killed three 9-year-olds and three adults at the private Christian Covenant elementary school. A nonprofit organization called Builders (formerly known as Starts With Us) that seeks to ease political polarization brought together a group of 11 Tennessee residents with a range of opinions on the issue of guns to discuss and come up with some solutions. Muldrow was part of a similar group in Wisconsin in 2024 that explored the debate on abortion. She saw a documentary about the Tennessee group and thought its approach could be a way for the community affected by the Abundant Life shooting to come together and find a way forward. Muldrow said that the point of the event she helped organize Sunday was not necessarily to 'mirror or mimic what happened in Tennessee, but to learn from that collaborative attitude towards solutions.' More than 100 people attended the event at the Overture Center for the Arts in Madison, which included a screening of the documentary about the Tennesseeans' journey and a panel discussion with two of the participants and a handful of Wisconsinites. Charles Franklin, director of the Marquette Law School Poll noted during the panel that potential solutions to gun violence would look different for Wisconsin, given the difference in state laws and the general beliefs of residents in each state. A key point of disagreement among participants in the documentary centered on concealed carry permits and whether they should be mandated. Tennessee has allowed for permitless carry of handguns since 2021. Wisconsin already requires a permit for concealed carry, however, and it's mostly not a partisan debate, Franklin said. According to the most recent polling, about 65% of Wisconsinites support concealed carry, but only under certain circumstances. 'We do have a concealed carry law that requires a permit. When the Legislature has considered concealed carry without a permit, we found only about 20% support for that, about 80% opposition,' Franklin said. 'There is a distinction that the public makes… public opinion is quite opposed to that form of concealed carry, but solidly in favor of [concealed carry] with a permit.' Franklin said he thought proposals that originate from and garner support among Second Amendment supporters should be celebrated. He noted that there is a Republican bill that's been introduced in Wisconsin that would create a tax exemption for gun safes. 'That's a small, incremental matter of, what, 5 ½% on the cost of the safe, but on the other hand, when you think of children's access to guns in the home, access to those guns by burglars or other circumstances,' it could be a significant step, Franklin said. Franklin said the idea that 'if you don't get everything you've got nothing' is a huge barrier to progress. 'I would just stress that incremental improvements are still improvements,' Franklin said. Steve D'Orazio, founder and president of the Oregon, Wis., gun shop and range Max Creek Outdoors said during the panel that his business works hard to educate people who acquire guns. He said he has been working with a doctor at the UW Health System to educate doctors on guns and have them talk with their patients about gun safety and awareness, including keeping guns locked away. 'My goal is the safety of our children,' D'Orazio said. The solution to school shootings he emphasized the most was implementing metal detectors in all schools. 'Every one of us here today walked through the front door of this building and we walked through a metal detector, but our schools don't have metal detectors,' D'Orazio said. 'I sell guns. That's our business. There's so much education that we do at our shop to make sure that the gun owner doesn't get hurt and that they use it correctly…, but every school district should have a metal detector. That's how you're going to stop this stuff.' The documentary shows the Tennessee group taking and presenting their recommendations at the Tennessee State Capitol. Those recommendations included temporary removal of firearms based on risk of violence, developing tools to support responsible gun ownership, expanding the role of school resource officers, investing in community to reduce trauma and developing gun literacy resources for schools, communities and media. Tennessee leaders did pass a bill in 2024 requiring education in schools about guns, a policy similar to the recommendation of the group. Though the end result was not exactly as participants imagined it. Adam Luke, a Tennessee marriage and family counselor and conservative, spoke to how the 'rush to be right' by lawmakers on the issue may diminish the effectiveness of the legislation. 'People will not be able to opt out [of the curriculum]. Now, I would like to turn to conservative America and say, 'If you did not have the ability to opt your child out of sex education would that bother you?'' Luke asked. 'This is what happens when you have super majorities.' Luke said that the Tennessee Department of Education also doesn't have the curriculum for teachers and just recently closed the public response period. He said lawmakers were so quick to want to get something done that they've created a policy that may not be effective. 'Let's say that we did something, but guess what? We forgot to actually give you the resources to be successful with it,' Luke said. Political polarization was on display following the Madison school shooting. Muldrow said she has been 'saddened' by the divide. 'It's really hard to see our Legislature be so divided and in such a contentious relationship with our governor, and it's a shame because all of these people represent us and there is an expectation that they work together,' Muldrow said. Since the shooting, Gov. Tony Evers has launched the Office of Violence Prevention and has proposed adopting further gun safety policies including stricter background checks and red flag laws. Republican lawmakers were quick to criticize Evers' proposals and have been developing their own proposals for addressing school shootings, including financial support for the Office of School Safety and allowing teachers to be armed. The Madison Common Council and the Dane County Board of Supervisors both passed resolutions urging the Legislature to take action and implement common-sense gun measures. Steven Olikara, a former candidate for Wisconsin Senate and founder of the nonpartisan organization the Future Caucus, said the actions of local leaders and Evers are a step forward, but the state needs to take bigger steps. 'Those bigger steps will come from bringing Democrats and Republicans together in a real way and building trust,' Olikara said. 'And I think conversations like this can help create that kind of momentum. [When people are at] each other's throats, the kind of progress you make is very small and very incremental. When you have conversations like the one today, you can reach transformative change, and that's really what we need.' Tennessee educator Alyssa Pearman, who lost one of her students to gun violence, said the key is to keep showing up to have the conversations. 'You are going to be told no, and you are going to have people who have no interest in making a change and being a builder, but you keep showing up,' Pearman said. 'You find people who want to do something, who want a better tomorrow, and you have conversations like these… This is the type of conversation that needs to be had, whether it's in Wisconsin, whether it's in Tennessee and whatever state where we have this crisis.' SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX
Yahoo
27-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
After school shooting, Madison event seeks to get past typical us-vs.-them gun stalemate
Two years ago, a former student at the Covenant School in Nashville shot and killed three 9-year-old students and three teachers. Between the first 911 call and the police killing the assailant, just 14 minutes elapsed. In the wake of the tragedy, a group of 11 ideologically disparate strangers came together to reach consensus on gun safety, came up with eight proposals, and opened the discussion up to the public. After more than 30,000 Tennesseans from its 95 counties weighed in, five proposals got majority support last August. A special session of Tennessee lawmakers on the same topic, meanwhile, predictably ended in gridlock. Now, a window into that "civic experiment," as it was described in the film-length documentary "Tennessee 11" is coming to Madison, three months after the capital experienced the deadliest school shooting in Wisconsin history at Abundant Life Christian School. The shooting at the private school left three dead Dec. 16, including the shooter, a 15-year-old freshman named Natalie L. Rupnow, who went by Samantha, and wounded six others ― two critically. On March 30, Wisconsinites are invited to the Overture Center for the Arts to attend a free screening of the film "Tennessee 11," followed by a panel discussion that seeks to reveal "the hidden common ground on the prevention of gun violence in schools and the community," according to a news release from the Builders Movement, a non-partisan organization that tries to equip people to solve problems by broadening the typical "either-or" conversation on guns. After the Abundant Life shooting, Ali Muldrow, who lives in Madison and serves as the Board of Education treasurer for the Madison Metropolitan School District, contacted the Builders Movement because she was tired of hearing the same common response. Muldrow will be leading Sunday's event alongside Bria Halama, a Milwaukee County-based licensed professional counselor, and Jake VandenPlas, a former squad leader for the National Guard based in Door County. "Everyone blames each other and is too busy digging their heels in their positions to have a constructive conversation," Muldrow said. "I'd like to do that in partnership with folks I know are really good at doing that work." In addition to her work on the school board, Muldrow is the executive director of the Wisconsin Abortion Fund and engages regularly in those kinds of difficult conversations. For Muldrow, "differences shape us more than they divide us," she said. "If we can stay in conversation and engage in critical thinking and have our own ideas strengthened by someone else's different ideas, I think there's a lot of power there," Muldrow said. That's Steven Olikara's philosophy, too. Olikara, one of the panelists Sunday, knows how visceral and emotional the topic of firearms is for people. Olikara, a Wisconsin native who founded Future Caucus, the largest cross-partisan organization of young elected leaders in the U.S., believes so many of the fissures in society come from what he terms the "division industrial complex." "It can apply to any issue, but it's absolutely going to prey on the issue of gun violence, which is intentionally pushing people's emotional buttons to turn us against each other and hate each other," Olikara said. "Division is a really profitable industry." Olikara sees Sunday's discussion as a direct rebuttal against the division industrial complex. Differences are a reality, but it's how we bridge those differences that we can find solutions to problems as complex as the topic of firearms. Steve D'Orazio, another panelist participating Sunday, is well-versed in how to start conversations around firearms. D'Orazio opened the gun shop and range Max Creek Outdoors in Oregon, Wisconsin, 15 years ago and said he does as much education around guns as he does sell them. He also was one of the first gun shops in the state to participate in a program to prevent suicides. A few years ago, D'Orazio spoke with Madison family medicine physician, Dr. James Bigham, about a program to train doctors and medical students at University of Wisconsin-Madison about how to talk to patients about firearms. D'Orazio's first question to Bigham: How many of these doctors know anything about a gun? "How are they going to answer questions from their patients if they have never touched a gun, shot a gun, know what a bullet is?" he said. "That's where I come in." D'Orazio began opening his shop to the first-of-its-kind program to educate doctors on firearms. Earlier this year, a similar session was held in the Milwaukee-area. Through the sessions, D'Orazio learned how to find ways to communicate with people who may have no history and may have a very negative view of guns. He raises a shared area of concern, among gun owners and non-gun owners ― something he plans to do at the panel. "It's all about the kids with me," he said. "Whether they're in their home, school, church or out in public, they're the innocent ones. And if I'm talking to adults that throw up the wall, I don't want to hear about it, whether a gun owner or not. Let's take the walls down, and let's talk about our kids." To that end, D'Orazio stresses secure storage of guns with his customers and for that reason, he said, he sells many safes. "It's amazing how many customers walk in here and say 'They're in the closet, they're under the bed,'" he said. "We hear it all the time. 'I can't afford it. It's not in my budget.' Oh, my Lord, what's the value of guns you own? How can you not afford to lock them up so somebody doesn't steal them, let alone have one of your children get to them?" In addition to D'Orazio and Olikara, Sunday's panelists will include Rev. Everett Mitchell, a gun owner and education and equity advocate who presides over the Juvenile Division in the Dane County Circuit Court, and Charles Franklin, a government scholar and director of the Marquette Law School Poll. Register for the event at the Eventbrite page. Doors open at 12:15 p.m., with the event beginning at 1 p.m., and ending at 3:30 p.m. The free event is open to anybody 14 years or older. In 2023, the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel published 'Behind the Gun,' which revealed the full extent of gun deaths, and showed that almost three-quarters of gun deaths in the state are suicides. It explored gun owners' stories and highlighted their ideas for tackling issues like suicides and accidental shootings. This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Madison event seeks discussion on guns that doesn't just divide people
Yahoo
24-02-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Michael Muldrow puts run for York mayor on hold: Here's why
York City Police Commissioner Michael Muldrow, who announced that he was running for mayor, now has put his campaign on hold. Muldrow announced the news Sunday evening in a Facebook post, saying that a run for office would be too much to ask of his family and "they've already given up enough." He's decided to focus on his job of serving and protecting the community. "I've decided to put my campaign on pause, and move aside so other candidates have the time to step up, run, win your support and confidence, and help us continue to do what's best for this City that We Love!" he wrote. York Mayor Michael Helfrich announced at a New Year's Eve celebration in 2023 that he would not be seeking re-election in 2025. The two-term mayor shared that he was endorsing Muldrow's candidacy. Muldrow ended his statement, saying: ""I LOVE this City, and I respect the Office of Mayor (and ALL that can be done from it); BUT I'd rather continue Fighting FOR My Community (from where I'm at), than Fight the people in it (for a new Title and a bigger Seat)." The primary in Pennsylvania is May 20. This article originally appeared on York Daily Record: York City Police Commissioner Michael Muldrow pauses his run for mayor
Yahoo
24-02-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
York City Police Commissioner pauses campaign for Mayor
YORK, Pa. (WHTM) – York City Police Commissioner Michael Muldrow says he has decided to 'pause' his campaign for mayor and focus on initiatives in the police department. 'I've decided to put my campaign on pause, and move aside so other candidates have the time to step up, run, win your support and confidence, and help us continue to do what's best for this City that We Love!' Muldrow said Sunday night. Muldrow announced his campaign on January 1, 2024, and was endorsed by Mayor Michael Helfrich (D), who had announced he would not run again. Muldrow's announcement comes after the City of York celebrated over 100 days without gun violence. Muldrow's full statement can be read below: 🌟DEAR YORK✨, After nearly 5 years of service and giving This City my best (in and out of uniform); I was urged by many to step up, take on the next challenge, and pursue a run for Mayor. As I've moved forward, taking inventory on EVERYTHING along the way (my family, my team, the timing, the challenges, our progress, outstanding projects, and the toll the process will take)… I've continually struggled and stayed in prayer that my decisions be decisions that are GOOD FOR EVERYONE, not just good for me. And while there's NO ONE who could possibly LOVE this entire CITY and it's people MORE (as I've given everything to it, and remain willing to lay down my very life for it), I've decided at this time, the price to my family would be too high to risk, too much to ask, or too great to pay… 'And they've already given up enough'. So I've decided (for now) to keep my focus on what I know, serving people, helping people, and protecting the Community I Love! I have a job that's not done yet, and it's working with this amazing team of professionals to make our city even Safer! Progress I hope to continue making today, tomorrow and with future Mayors to come. So it's with a heavy but undeterred heart, I announce: I've decided to put my campaign on pause, and move aside so other candidates have the time to step up, run, win your support and confidence, and help us continue to do what's best for this City that We Love! THANK YOU to the people who love and support me, and ALL the people out there (of every race, religion, age, color, creed, sex, gender, personal persuasion, economic background, or political affiliation) who were excited about this race. I truly love and appreciate each and everyone of you, and TRUST; I'll continue to serve, continue to protect, and continue to give my very BEST, from right where I'm at! Final Word: 'I LOVE this City, and I respect the Office of Mayor (and ALL that can be done from it); BUT I'd rather continue Fighting FOR My Community (from where I'm at), than Fight the people in it (for a new Title and a bigger Seat)'🙏🏽❤️✨. Respectfully, Michael Muldrow Community Servant Pennsylvania's primary election is May 20, 2025. The first day for candidates to circulate and file nomination petitions was Feb. 18 and the deadline is March 11. Pennsylvanians can register to vote in the May primary up until May 5 and can apply for a mail ballot before the May 13 deadline. Mail ballots must be returned by 8 p.m. on May 20. This is a developing story. Stay with abc27 News as more information becomes available Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
17-02-2025
- Yahoo
York City Police Commissioner celebrates 100 days without gun violence
CITY OF YORK, Pa. (WHTM) — City of York Police Commissioner Michael Muldrow is celebrating 100 days without gun violence in the city. The last shooting incident that reportedly occurred in the City of York was November 7, 2024, in which a 30-year-old male was injured with a non-life-threatening gunshot wound on West King Street. Close Thanks for signing up! Watch for us in your inbox. Subscribe Now Shooting incidents are not only down in the City of York, but in all of York County, as well. According to the county's yearly Coroner Report, homicides declined from 18 in 2023 to 11 in 2024. The report says a total of 73 people died by suicide in 2024—the same as the previous year. According to the average rate of gun deaths per 100,000 Pennsylvanians in York County between 2018-2022 (the most recent CDC data) was 13.5. On Monday Muldrow released a statement recognizing the 100 days without gun violence: I was recently asked WHY the Celebration? How do I feel about achieving '100 Days' without Gun Violence?? What does it mean to me??? My Response 👇🏽: While some people (outside this community) may not understand it, WE (like so many urban communities) have lived for so long in the shadow of 'what's next'…? Almost allowing ourselves to grow conditioned to believing – 'violent neighborhoods, bullet filled nights, and blood soaked streets' have to be our reality. But thanks to the work of some dedicated people inside of how WE approach this GVI effort (i.e.; our Officers who accepted the challenge, our Civilian Team and Tiff Lowe who picked up the mantle, our Partners who've invested with real support, and a Community who stepped up and decided 'we want better')… We've been able to do something truly special here! While this may only seem like '100 days' to some; to me, to us, to the people of York City, this past two years of progress (and a lot 'Less Funerals'), these past '100 days of Peace' in our Streets, is undeniable PROOF that 'Better is Possible!!!' And I'm so proud of that… so thankful for that… So thankful that I wanted to come up with a way, to shout it from the roof tops, for all the world to see!!! We wanted to make sure we let these young people know – 'We See You' trying, 'We See You' out there listening, 'We See You' changing and making better decisions each and everyday… And I Love this Whole Community (of people and partners) for what's happening here! That's what this Celebration🎉 is about; the video we did (with those Community Voices and LCBC Church), these Billboards we got chance to do (thanks to the incredible team from Lamar advertising)… We're making sure this Community takes time to celebrate it's Wins and achievements, and acknowledge ALL those individuals who decided to be a part of this CHANGE and making this Community so Much Better!!! Look, I can tell you: I've prayed for this town, I've fought for this town, I've given everything I have and been in tears (off and on) for years over this This Town (since before I agreed to take on this role, back in 2020)… And I am just so so thankful to finally be shedding 'tears of joy' as I watch My City Change, as I watch amazing people Win, as I watch everyone starting to see YORK like I see it!🙏🏽❤️✨ That's what I have to say. Simply put – 'THANK YOU'. York City Police Commissioner Michael Muldrow Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
