Warrick Dunn
Warrick Dunn is a former NFL running back and a three-time Pro Bowl selection. Dunn is well known for his philanthropic endeavors and success as a professional football player.
Warrick started Homes for the Holidays in 1997 during his rookie year with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The program is a tribute to his mother, Betty Smothers, a Baton Rouge police officer who as a single mother of six worked tirelessly to achieve the American dream of owning her own home. While working a second job as a security guard, she was killed in the line of duty and was never able to realize that dream.
Warrick Dunn Charities was founded in 2002, to improve lives through innovative programming inspired by Dunn’s life journey. To date, the program has rewarded over 204 single parents and over 549 dependents for achieving first-time homeownership nationwide.
Dunn’s football career began at Florida State University. In 1997, Dunn was drafted by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. He played for the Bucs for five years before signing with the Atlanta Falcons in 2002. Six seasons later, in 2008, he returned to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers for his final season.
His 2008 autobiography, Running For My Life, details his life and battles with depression. As a public speaker and advocate, he often speaks about his battle with mental health and the importance of going to counseling.
After a 12-year career, Dunn retired and in 2009 was approved by NFL owners to become a limited partner of the Atlanta Falcons.
In 2013, Dunn graduated with his EMBA from Emory University and also was selected to join the first class of NFL Legends.
In February 2020, Dunn launched his second nonprofit, WD Communities. WD Communities will support families from the beginning to the end of the purchase of affordable or transitional housing and provide support services, including Financial Literacy, Health & Wellness, Education Attainment, and Entrepreneurship & Workforce Development. The organization is committed to working with families over the course of several years
Warrick serves on numerous boards and has made it his life's mission to impact future generations by helping fulfill his mother's dream and by continually giving back to the community and challenging others around him to do the same.
I am proud of the Council on Police Reform and Race's work on a vast array of issues. However, one issue the council did not cover, is gun violence. America has become one of the most, if not the most, violent developed countries in the world. In this year alone, there have been an increase in the number of mass shootings and a total of more than 38 thousand gun deaths. (https://www.gunviolencearchive.org/reports/mass-shooting)
One of the greatest threats facing our law enforcement currently is gun violence. While the 2nd Amendment guarantees a citizen the right to own a gun, it does not mean that we can't create more checks and balances. We need to ensure that this country has responsible and safe gun owners. There are an estimated 400 million guns in the US and an estimated 393 million of those are in the hands of private citizens. That's an average of 120 guns per 100 people. An average gun owner (44% of Americans), owns 5 guns. How many of these guns end up in the hands of individuals with mental health issues or the hands of criminals? (https://americangunfacts.com/gun-ownershipstatistics/)
Twenty-five states in the U.S now have laws that allow citizens to carry guns openly and concealed without a permit. This means that there is no requirement to undergo a background check, or obtain a license nor is there a requirement to receive any kind of training. Previously, many states required training to obtain a concealed carry permit. There is also no requirement for citizens to reveal the fact that they are carrying a gun to a law enforcement officer unless specifically asked.
Data shows that by reducing or weakening the requirements to carry a handgun there has been an increase in violent crime, an increase in gun deaths and an increase in the number of officer-involved shootings. In some areas, there has been as much as a double-digit percentage increase in the previously mentioned crimes. Gun violence has seen an exponential increase across the nation in the past two years because of weakening the requirements for carrying a gun. These laws put our law enforcement community at an even greater risk. They will have no visual clues of who is carrying a gun or have the requirement to ask about an individual's license to carry.
How does this affect the police force? It creates a hyper-vigilance for already stressed and in some places, strained and understaffed police agencies. It creates added mental health traumas for officers responding to calls and increases fear among their ranks.
Our nation desperately needs to get a handle on gun violence. Not only to protect innocent civilians but also to protect those who are sworn to protect and serve us. Our front line needs to know that we value their roles. We can uphold the 2nd Amendment while also ensuring there are checks and balances in place to protect citizens and the policing community. Mandating background checks and implementing wait times are essential to the safety of citizens and law enforcement officers.