‘Enough is enough’: UC Merced student speaks out about gun violence | Opinion

Gun violence has become a devastating reality across the United States, but it is also a local issue. Here in Merced, we have felt the pain of losing neighbors, classmates and loved ones to senseless acts of violence. What was once considered a rare tragedy is now a recurring headline and a devastating reality for too many families in our city.

According to the California Department of Justice, gun violence continues to disproportionately affect communities like ours — communities that are underserved, over-policed and too often ignored when it comes to violence prevention.

We know the trauma firsthand. We’ve seen the candlelight vigils. We’ve watched young lives cut short and communities struggle to recover.

The time for complacency is over.

Merced cannot and should not wait for the next tragedy to act. We need common-sense gun safety legislation at both the state and federal level, and we need our representatives — including Assemblymember Esmeralda Soria, Sen. Anna Caballero and Congressman Adam Gray — to treat this issue with the urgency it demands. This means fighting for universal background checks, implementing red flag laws that keep firearms out of dangerous hands and supporting violence intervention programs that actually work in communities like ours.

Gun violence remains the leading cause of death for children and teens in the United States. That statistic is horrifying, and it should break all of our hearts, especially those in elected positions who have the power to act. Thoughts and prayers are not policy, and speeches are not solutions. We need action.

Merced is a community full of potential. Our youth deserve to walk to school without fear. Our families deserve to gather in parks without worry. We deserve to live, work and thrive in safety.

To our legislators: Your job is to protect us. Please don’t wait until it’s your constituent, your friend, your family member or your child to act. Stand with us before it’s too late.

Enough is enough. Merced is ready for change. Are you?

Keirah Jones is a UC Merced student and a passionate advocate for justice and equity, driven by a deep commitment to serving underserved communities and creating lasting change through policy, law and leadership.