MEMPHIS, Tenn. — It may be a new year, but old problems still persist. COVID-19 continues to interrupt lives and livelihoods – and the first homicide for 2022 occurred on day one, after Memphis set a homicide record for the second straight year.
In other words, we’re seeing more of the same.
A new year should be a time for optimism and a resolve to make ourselves and our community better. But I cannot help being distressed by the cavalier attitude some have about getting fully vaccinated against the virus.
What’s worse, I cannot ignore the terrible toll that deadly violence is having on our city, 346 homicides, with 304 of them classified as murders, in 2021 are astounding numbers. And they should be unacceptable to all of us who care about this city. While the overwhelming majority of homicides involve victims and perpetrators who know one another, and Memphis remains an overall safe place for law abiding citizens, we cannot accept rampant violence as just the way it is in the Bluff City.
I still believe we must do more to limit access to guns. But beyond that, juvenile and early childhood intervention programs to help steer young people away from violent encounters are possible responses.
I don’t know the complete answer, but I do know this: Memphis will never be the city we want it to be until we see a noticeable drop in violence.