Where do we start?

Aaron Perry is a candidate for Alderman in District 12 of Waukesha, WI.  Aaron is a father of two very young boys and has been married to his wife Angela for five years.

The tragic shootings that happened this year have shocked us all. The most recent shooting in Connecticut left us speechless and searching for answers.  Even though my two boys are too young for school, I can’t help but wonder what it would have been like to send them to school Monday after the tragic events last Friday in Connecticut.  As a candidate for Alderman and most of all as a father, I feel compelled to share thoughts regarding where we start on a solution.

I have visited dozens of homes in District 12 in my young campaign for Alderman. Because of the recent tragedy I am asked about my views on gun control.  That’s a natural question to ask and I understand the engagement and urgency that our residents have on the issue of our children’s safety.  But when we focus solely on guns, we miss an opportunity to get to the very heart of the matter.  I see worry on the faces of parents in the community and I see the urgency in which we all want this issue to go away.  But we must start from the ground up and not jump to knee-jerk legislation.

I propose that we form a committee involving city government to help build a better community for our children.  This group would be similar to committees formed to improve business districts.  It would be made up of community leaders, school leaders and parents.  The committee’s purpose would be to listen to the concerns of parents and address issues facing our children in the matters of violence.  We spend a great deal of time and effort improving the business climate in Waukesha.  Building business is important, but children are our biggest investment.  They are our number one priority.

So before we dive into the issue of guns or blaming violent video games for an all-too-common tragedy, let’s focus on what we can do to build a better community for our children. That is what I am compelled to do and it is what I feel I should share as a father in our community and as a candidate for Alderman in District 12.