Rand Paul: “I recently had the honor of being welcomed by Game Changers, an organization based in Louisville, KY, devoted to guiding…”

“I recently had the honor of being welcomed by Game Changers, an organization based in Louisville, KY, devoted to guiding our youth toward productive and meaningful lives, for a panel discussion on the impact of violence in our community. The executive director of Game Changers is Christopher 2X, whom I have known for many years and watched change the lives of so many Kentuckians through his advocacy, leadership, and community building efforts. In December of 2019, just a few months ago, Christopher showed me the findings of Game Changers's study on the impact of youth violence recently released by his organization. Subsequently, I asked him to organize an event in West Louisville with a panel of community leaders and parents to discuss the report and how violent crime affects the lives of Louisville youth. At the event, we not only discussed the findings but also heard from Louisvillians whose real-life stories are contained in the pages of those reports. Earnestine ``Tina'' Tyus described how the ongoing physical and the mental suffering of her grandson, Ki'Anthony Tyus resulted after being shot. Rather than excelling at football and basketball, Ki'Anthony was focused on learning how to walk again. Violence also has indirect consequences. Stevonte Wood started failing out of school, treating those around him poorly, and had trouble sleeping at night. This downward spiral was a result of witnessing the murders of his mother and older brother.…”