Living the Statistics: Our Power Is as Real as Our Fear
By ReyAnn Haney
The fear of gun violence is always there—a low hum in my life that has replaced the simple feelings of being or raising a kid. I was raised with this fear, driving down Central Avenue, with my parents telling me not to look at anyone unless I wanted to get shot.
As a child, I didn't get it. All I saw were people who looked like they needed some help. The International District, a place my parents called “The War Zone,” looked to me like a community.
Fear Can Shape Our Choices
As a mom, I dread the day I have to send my kids to public school. Preschool will be their last year of light-up shoes and glow-in-the-dark clothes. My fear has reached a record high. My thoughts now race to what their clothes will do for them.
Will those light-up shoes make them a target? Could those glow-in-the-dark clothes be a disadvantage in the dark? It is a heartbreaking reality that I now have to choose my children's clothes based on survival and not on fun.
My Fear Is Not Mine Alone
From a mom’s vantage point, that simple view is gone, replaced by a deep, real fear. My dread became terrifyingly real this past March, when 30 gunshots shattered the quiet of my own gated community and one person was killed. My safe place was gone in a moment.
The park in my complex, where my children used to play, is a place I actively avoid. It reminds me of all the "what ifs." What if we had been there? What if it happens again? These "what ifs" are the enemy, and they’ve stolen the simple joy of taking my kids to the playground.
This terror has changed everything. I used to do my laundry nearby. Now I drive across town, just to avoid places with a tragic history of shootings. It’s a small thing, but it shows a big truth: this fear isn't just in the news—it's invaded my daily life and stolen my sense of freedom and safety.
Building the Future Our Kids Deserve
I used to think my fears were just mine, but I've learned they're not. They're part of a much bigger story about a city we love, where gun violence is hurting us all. We're not just reading numbers in the newspaper; we're living them. In New Mexico, guns are a leading cause of death for kids and teens. I can't accept that, and I hope you can't either.
But I'm not helpless. This isn't a problem I have to live with. My fear is real, but so is my power to do something about it. I believe we can find real solutions, not just through policies, but in how we treat each other every day.
The Work Starts With Us
I'm choosing to support the groups already working to stop violence in our neighborhoods. I'm ready to have hard conversations with my neighbors and local leaders. I want to talk about how to make sure all guns are stored safely. I want everyone to have a chance for a better life here.
The time for silent fear is over. I'm choosing to stand up, and I hope you'll stand with me. Let’s stop turning away from the problem and start walking toward a better future, together. Every child, including my own, deserves a world where their only worry is what light-up shoes they want to wear to school. I truly believe that is a future we can build. For us. For our kids. For our city.