At least a handful of mobile phones lit up last Wednesday night with news of an in-progress mass shooting in Maine while our audience at The Cabot listened to a panel of experts speak about the US gun violence crisis. As if on cue, and as if we all needed a reminder of how frequent and devastating mass shootings are, a lone shooter was killing at least 18 people with a semi-automatic rifle (AR-15 style) in a bar and a bowling alley less than three hours north of us.

We are excited to invite you to an evening with leading activists committed to stopping gun violence on our streets, in our schools, and inside our homes. If you have ever felt frustrated, discouraged, or confused about the gun law debate, join us on Wednesday, October 25 at 7 pm at The Cabot in Beverly to learn what we all can do to effect change and help protect people of all ages and walks of life.

Those of us of a certain age often ask or are asked, “Where were you when Kennedy was assassinated in 1963?” For those younger, the question is, “Where were you when the Challenger exploded in 1986?” And, for those still younger, “Where were you when the planes hit the World Trade Center in 2001?”

One year ago today, our nation's Capitol was attacked by right-wing American insurgents at the behest of President Trump and other Republican leaders. We want to mark this terrible day by remembering exactly what happened. If we all continue to raise our voices and not normalize this behavior, maybe it won't happen again. As it stands, polls are showing that we are going to have to expect violence after elections. We haven't experienced this before and must do everything we can to save our democracy.

Once again, our eyes are glued to the tv and newspapers, as we absorb the details of yet another tragic killing in a school. And, once again, we shake our heads, convinced, perhaps this time more than ever, that the deaths could have been prevented.

This is our second edition of “Staggering Statistics and Devastating Details.” This time we are focusing on guns – who has them and what happens because of their availability. We hope these facts will not only alarm you but also provide compelling “backup” when others oppose or question your position on issues. “The only thing that permits human beings to collaborate with one another in a truly open-ended way is their willingness to have their beliefs modified by new facts,” wrote author Sam Harris. “Only openness to evidence and argument will secure a common world for us.”

We decided to change it up this week. Instead of presenting an in-depth look at one issue, we are offering some staggering statistics and devastating details about a variety of social justice issues of concern to us. We hope you will find them as compelling as we do — and as clarion calls to action for all of us.

“Mass shootings are now so frequent that it is hard to remember them all,” commentator Scott Pelley said on CBS’s “60 Minutes” earlier this month. Many of us can recall a time when we had never heard of a mass shooting, let alone a rash of them targeting people of all faiths and colors. Yet, here we are, facing a summer that many fear will bring a spike in senseless killings.