Hazel Ryon: Don’t let Raluca die in vain

Regarding the Oct. 6 Point of View “One life of many taken”: One year ago, this week, my close friend Raluca Iosif was shot to death in her Durham driveway by a boyfriend of two months for ending the relationship. Raluca’s life was ended by dangerous gun use and a belief that violence is appropriate to channel emotions.

This toxic aspect in our gun culture is highlighted in the Sept. 30 Under the Dome item “Gun raffle” about Grass Roots North Carolina raffling an AR-15 rifle. This group, which pushed for repealing our North Carolina background check system, is raffling a portrait of Hillary Clinton with a semi-automatic gun.

The threat of violence is implicit, repulsive and the epitome of dangerous gun use. It results in murder and shattered families, friends and communities.

I’ve lived this first-hand. I’ve been in the police station. The hospital. Wanting to call and see Raluca. I’ve held family and friends struggling with the gaping hole of loss.

I’m proud to volunteer with groups like Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America, which supports common-sense gun laws to prevent gun violence. The pain of Raluca’s murder is still overwhelming. Most sobering is the fact that I am just one of thousands of North Carolinians impacted by gun violence. The time for change is now.

This story was originally published October 10, 2016 at 4:23 PM with the headline "Hazel Ryon: Don’t let Raluca die in vain."