Leaders must take gun violence seriously

Dave Hyde’s trek across the nation, checking only his weapon on one-way flights, shows little has changed since Esteban Santiago opened fire in our Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood airport. Shockingly, checked guns are still treated as frivolously as golf clubs. The airline and TSA staff’s casual attitude, as well as the inconsistent airport practices Hyde found, ensure these tragedies will happen again.

Mass shootings are the tragic tip of the gun-death iceberg in our country. Over 30,000 Americans die each year by firearms, the same number attributed to opioid overdoses, and yet gun violence is seldom considered an epidemic that deserves a nationwide response. “Stuff happens” was one official’s reaction the Pulse shooting in Orlando last year.

There are proven ways to reduce gun violence, but this multifaceted public health issue can be addressed only when elected officials, our business community, and the public take gun violence seriously. Bradette Jepsen, Sunrise