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Connections

Coming up on Connections: Wednesday, May 25, 2022

Patrick Blanchfield
https://thebrooklyninstitute.com/people/patrick-blanchfield/
Patrick Blanchfield

First hour: Journalist Patrick Blanchfield on gun violence in America

Second hour: Special rebroadcast - Jeremy Richman — the late father of Sandy Hook shooting victim, Avielle Richman — on preventing violence

Following the murder of at least 19 children and two teachers in a Texas school, politicians are already debating gun laws. Texas Senator Ted Cruz said that further gun laws don't work and only penalize law-abiding citizens. What do we know about societies that produce and own a high number of weapons? Our guest has been researching and writing on the issue for years:

  • Patrick Blanchfield, freelance journalist, academic, associate faculty member at the Brooklyn Institute for Social Research, and author of the forthcoming book, "Gunpower: The Structure of American Violence"

Then in our second hour, we revisit a conversation from 2017 with Jeremy Richman, the father of Avielle Richman. Avielle was six years old when she was killed in the shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School a decade ago. After her death, Richman and his wife shifted their focus to preventing violence and building compassion through brain research and education. He joined us on Connections in 2017 to talk about that work and about his grief. Richman was transparent about his re-traumatization each time there was another mass shooting in this country. He died by suicide in 2019. His wife said he “succumbed to the grief” from Avielle’s murder. This hour, we re-visit Richman’s words – those of a parent who lost a child to gun violence. Our guests:

  • Jeremy Richman, co-founder and CEO of The Avielle Foundation
  • Mel Callan, family nurse practitioner at Highland Family Medicine
Connections
Evan Dawson is the host of "Connections with Evan Dawson." He joined WXXI in January 2014 after working at 13WHAM-TV, where he served as morning news anchor. He was hired as a reporter for 13WHAM-TV in 2003 before being promoted to anchor in 2007.
Megan Mack is the executive producer of "Connections with Evan Dawson" and live/televised engagement programming.