The Violence Inside Us by Chris Murphy

The Justice Department analysis of the police response to the school shooting at Robb elementary School in Uvalde, Texas was released today (1/18/24) and it prompted me to post a review for THE VIOLENCE INSIDE US by Chris Murphy. The Senator for Connecticut subtitles his work “A Brief History of an Ongoing American Tragedy,” provides compelling statistics, and explores questions about why here is so much gun violence in America. Murphy reinforces readers’ interest through the stories he relays: a violent death on the streets for a young man trying to start his own business and the shootings at Sandy Hook elementary school. He looks deeply at his own journey around this topic as well as exploring questions about why humans, and especially Americans, hurt each other, plus, “how to demand common sense changes in our law that will reduce episodes of life altering violence.” Originally published in September, 2020, THE VIOLENCE INSIDE US received a starred review from Booklist (“emotionally passionate, and bracingly realistic”).