Category Archives: Social Justice

GunCrisis.org: Seeking solutions to the epidemic of homicide by gunfire in Philadelphia

It shouldn’t be this easy to find a shooting scene.

But on the average, at least one person has been murdered in Philadelphia every day over the last 25 years — and more than three-quarters of them have been killed with a gun.

Last week, local photojournalist Joe Kaczmarek took us to this scene just after a man had just been shot multiple times — but there has been no other reporting on any of the crime scenes he showed us that night.

GunCrisis.org is a new open source journalism project intended to fill in the gaps.

We will strive to avoid polarizing debates but contend that there is an epidemic of homicide by gunfire in Philadelphia and similar cities.

We will study the landscape and the roots of the crisis, seek the individuals and organizations working to disrupt and intervene, and expand the community of citizens who refuse to rest until we make a difference.

Join us at GunCrisis.org

Philly Midnight Motorcycle Run for Peace

The Midnight Motorcycle Run for Peace kicked off from Philadelphia City Hall late friday night.

According to their Facebook page, the Midnight Run for Peace Committee is an organization of dedicated motorcycle enthusiasts — committed to stopping violence by riding through high crime locations throughout the city — as well as promoting motorcycle safety.

So far this year, Philadelphia has suffered 61 homicides, nine fewer than 2011′s year-to-date total but 17 more than in 2010.

#OccupyPhilly Monday: still standing past eviction deadline

I checked in on #OccupyPhilly this morning and found it smaller yet still present after yesterday’s eviction deadline. I counted roughly 40 active demonstrators, possibly a similar number of other residents, and slightly more police and old media than usual, but there wasn’t much going on. The veterans section appeared unchanged. Continue reading →