8 August 15 • 2019 jn I t’ s not often one gets to read his own obituary. But that’ s kind of how it felt after The New York Jewish Week reported on my plan to step down as editor and publisher on Sept. 30. I’ ve received a number of notes from colleagues in the Jewish community that have touched me deeply. Many of them used the word “bitter- sweet, ” saying they were happy for me that I could relax a bit more after almost a half-century of dealing with daily pressures and weekly deadlines, but sorry to mark “the end of an era. ” Being on vacation and out of the country these last couple of weeks has given me the chance to stop and take a breath, thinking back on the past and ahead to the future. So much has changed in journalism over the years. Newsroom typewrit- ers have been replaced by computers, and news is reported and transmitted instantly, not weekly. Unfortunately, respect for the profession has declined as it has been buffeted by financial chal- lenges and bogus charges of “fake news. ” Coverage of Jewish life has changed dramatically, too. Jewish newspapers used to read like a bulletin board of communal activities and social announcements supplemented by wire service stories on Israel. Editors were fearful of tackling issues close to home. But with more probing coverage today of the community, including its shortcom- ings, come charges of digging too deep. Of course, the Jewish world has changed in a number of dramatic ways since 1972, when I started out as assistant editor of The Jewish Week- American Examiner, a precursor to the current publication. Back then the New York Times had a reporter, Irving “Pat” Spiegel, whose primary beat was to cover the programs and conferences of orga- nizations like B’ nai Brith, Hadassah and the once-influential American Jewish G un violence in the United States will continue to be an issue until we can all agree it is a national epidemic. Over the last 35 years, we have experienced some of the deadliest mass shootings in our country’ s history. These senseless acts of violence are taking the lives of nearly 100 Americans each day. As members of Congress, we have a responsibility to protect the people of the United States; however, we are dealing with an administration that refuses to acknowledge that hateful words have consequences. This February, the U.S. House of Representatives passed H.R. 8, the Bipartisan Background Checks Act of 2019, which establishes stricter background check requirements for firearm transfers between private par- ties. However, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell refuses to bring up this bipartisan piece of legislation for a vote in the U.S. Senate. As elected members of Congress, we swore an oath of office to defend the people that we represent; however, Leader McConnell refuses to consider bipar- tisan legislation that is supported by a majority of Americans. Enough is enough — Americans across the country are demanding gun reform, and it is past time for Congress to act. Young children go through active shooter drills in school before many even know how to read. Places of worship, festivals and communi- ty centers, long considered to safe havens for Americans to enjoy, are becoming targets for individuals seeking to inflict mass casualties. For far too long, we have been offering “thoughts and prayers” to fami- lies across the country affected by unspeakable hatred. Gun reform is necessary to protect the American people. Every year, nearly 40,000 peo- ple die from gun violence, and that is 40,000 people too many. We have allowed the hatred of domestic terrorism and white supremacy to slowly tear away at the moral fabric of our country. The hateful rhetoric and lack of support for gun control by the president of the United States is normalizing hatred that has no place in our soci- ety. It will never be acceptable to speak negatively about or physically harm someone based on their gender, race, sexual orientation or religion. America was established as one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. The citizens of this country should matter more than gun lobbyists and the National Rifle Association. In the last 10 years, we have seen six of the deadliest mass shootings in U.S. history. In 2017, 58 innocent festival goers were killed at a concert in Las Vegas, Nev. Many of these shooters used assault weapons to carry out their attacks, and I am proud to be a co-sponsor of legislation that would ban these dangerous weapons. These semi-automatic firearms are military grade and have no business on our streets. Since the ban on assault weap- ons lapsed in 2004, there has been a significant increase in the number of high-fatality shootings in this country. We cannot allow our country to be ripped apart by gun violence. No family, no school and no community should have to suffer through the tragedy of a mass shooting in 2019. As members of Congress, we have an obligation to uphold the Constitution and protect the people we serve. When one community experiences a mass shooting, our next thought should not be “will we be next?” Enough is enough. ■ Democrat Brenda Lawrence represents Michigan’ s 14th District. commentary Enough Is Enough: No More Thoughts and Prayers commentary The Ongoing Challenge For A Jewish Journalist views Rep. Brenda Lawrence Most Read on JN Web and Social Media Sites Each month, the JN will let you know the stories that were read most often on its web and social media sites. If you missed any, you can go to the jewishnews.com and search for them by title. Here’ s what was most popular in July: Top 10 on the Website thejewishnews.com 1. Teen Lifeguard Jumps into Action 2. Neo Nazi Flyers Displayed in Two Michigan Cities 3. Charlevoix the Beautiful 4. Ernie’ s Market Makes History 5. Soul Cafe Rises Above 6. Man Jumps into Action During Attack on Rabbi 7. Inside Ora Pescovitz’ Sunset Terrace Home 8. Society of Humanistic Judaism Celebrates 50 Years 9. Ann Arbor Welcomes Jim Brady’ s 10. Palace of Auburn Hills Set for Demolition Tops on Facebook 1. West Bloomfield resident is helping the homeless by bringing showers and laundry with the Corner Shower and Laundry 2. Police are investigating the shooting of a 69-year-old man outside of a Miami synagogue 3. BurgerIM boycott threats 4. Teen lifeguard saves small child 5. Oak Park native Josh Nodler drafted by Calgary (NHL) Top Instagram Posts 1. Schmoozing with Jacob Zuppke 2. Bloomfield Hills Native Marathon Runner 3. Toasted Oak Grill and Market 4. Detroit Maccabi Dance Team 5. Don Was/Concert of Colors Gary Rosenblatt continued on page 10