Kudos to the Times Union for its leadership with its continuous coverage of Albany's and the nation's needs for gun violence prevention, especially its coverage of the state Legislature's refunding SNUG, the public health-proven, community-based program.
Jordan Carleo-Evangelist's "Anti-gun violence watchdog dies at 62," March 27, was a beautiful tribute to Dr. Leonard Morgenbesser. Dr. Morgenbesser and I served together on numerous groups including the city's Task Force on Gun Violence and other community planning efforts. "Dr Len," indeed, the classic public health "shoe-leather" epidemiologist, tracked the incidence and prevalence of the disease of Albany's gun injury. His data provided stepping-stones toward full assessments, advocacy and options for gun violence prevention efforts.
Dr. Morgenbesser knew gun-related violence was multicausal, and effective prevention was not the most logical intervention. Our nationwide urban epidemic remains handgun homicides. The largest numbers nationwide, gun suicides, are rural and suburban. Public mass shootings highlight assault weapons. And each site has its own variations of prevention promises.
Dr. Morgenbesser took that first step of collecting grass-root data, comparing and assessing them and — always, always, always — advocating for action and funding of innovative collaborations.
We shall all miss his leadership and friendship.
Les Fisher Delmar