Judy Young

In Gettysburg for Gun Sense studies over the years, we have learned that more than half of all gun deaths in the US are gun suicides. And eighty-seven percent of those who die from gun suicide are men, with the highest risk belonging to men who are seventy and older. Like everyone, members of GGS

As we settle back into our Adams County home following a summer in Ontario, we are increasingly appalled by the harm done to Pennsylvania by President Trump’s new trade war on Canada.  The obvious economic harm accompanies unwarranted diplomatic damage. Governor Shapiro recently pointed out, “Canada is Pennsylvania’s largest trading partner.”  Imposing 50% tariffs on

After years of writing columns mainly about environmentalism or gun sense, today I need to address what makes it possible to work together on either topic. Without a system based on the rule of law, the work we do to save lives through environmental and gun sense policy and legislation goes for nothing. We are

The straight facts of a veteran’s life don’t always tell the whole story.  On Memorial Day, I always think of my father, Gayle Smith, who was an ambulance driver during World War II.  After the war Gayle followed his father’s footsteps as a college professor, teaching English at the University of Maryland when he wasn’t

In the United States of today, many of us suffer from the condition known as “moral injury.”  First identified as something veterans suffer from, this condition is the trauma experienced by someone in the midst of a situation where what they are asked to be part of goes so much against their conscience that it

While the White House Office of Gun Violence Prevention has closed, Pennsylvania’s efforts to reduce gun violence remain strong. The Pennsylvania Office of Gun Violence Prevention (OGVP), operating under the state’s Commission on Crime and Delinquency, continues to fund community-based programs that are showing real results. Since 2022, gun homicides in the state have dropped

Why the fuss about disbanding USAID and firing other federal employees, without notice or reason?  The reason is not only fairness, but the fact that hard-working civil servants save taxpayers more than they cost.  Employees of the US government are not widely appreciated for their work, in part because much of the work they do

In January, the Green Gettysburg Book Club and Gettysburg for Gun Sense will be studying some amazing works. As I delve into these reads, I am also fortunate to have received from Santa a copy of the prize-winning novel, “Orbital,” about watching Earth from the space station, by Samantha Harvey. The Green Gettysburg Book Club

I want to commend Lawrence and Anthony, hosts of the “Two Cool Dudes”podcast; Kathy Gaskin, who leads WellSpan’s Behavioral Health Task Force; and the Weary Performing Arts group, for an excellent program on mental wellness that they presented together at Gettysburg High School last night. All who braved the cold to attend were well rewarded!