Something must be done.

It’s become far too common to hear folks saying that elected officials and law enforcement officials here aren’t doing enough to solve the gun-violence problem that nearly every city, town, community and neighborhood seems to be going through.

We would guess that those elected to office and those who pin on a badge would like nothing more than to stop the violence. But they can’t — not alone.

Gun control measures won’t solve the problem.

Marches won’t solve the problem.

Signs won’t stop the problem.

Meetings won’t help solve the problem.

Complaining won’t solve the problem.

So what can?

People. And more than likely, it has to be those who are closest to the finger on the triggers; friends and family of those who have shunned any effort to be a productive, law-abiding resident; someone who has first-hand information — someone who has courage.

These are the people who must find a way to swallow their fear and tell law enforcement what they know.

We understand the fear factor is strong. We understand that fear includes not only themselves but their own friends and family, as well. But we also understand that, if the information they have isn’t given then all they have done is to help the finger pull that trigger.

There have been at least two recent shootings in the city where witnesses know who pulled the trigger … but refuse to say. In our minds, that makes them complicit.

But that’s just half of the solution.

The other half must be that anyone who gives information like that needs to be protected. Paying an informant won’t do much if informants are fairly certain they won’t live to spend the money.

We feel sure that most, if not every elected official in the city of Laurinburg have each asked Police Chief “Duke” Williams what they can do to help. We feel just as sure that county commissioners have asked Sheriff Ralph Kersey the same question.

Just as strongly, we think the Monday Morning Quarterbacks who think they know better than law enforcement serve no purpose whatsoever. Pointing out problems without offering valid solutions helps nobody.

Law enforcement is doing all it can, all it has been trained to do in an effort to curtail this gun violence. But we all need to stop thinking this is a Scotland County or Laurinburg problem, because it’s a nationwide problem; and people who reside in the world with these trigger fingers need to help clean things up.

Tell what you know.

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QUOTE OF THE DAY

“A person’s action, not their words, will tell you everything you need to know.”