Why Athens' Mayor Is Pushing for Stricter Gun Laws

In the 20 years that I spent as a teacher and administrator in middle schools and high schools in Athens and Northeast Georgia before my time as mayor of Athens-Clarke County, many students and families I knew had encounters with gun violence: a student shot in the knee during horseplay, one who shot a girlfriend in the face, another murdered in a retaliatory drive-by, and many students and family members who committed suicide with firearms. Now, as a local policymaker, I join dozens of peers across our state seeking to make smart and proven choices to promote public health and reduce violence. When we are asked what we are doing to reduce v…