America must finally tackle the issue of gun violence.
By: JACOB POLITTE, Online Editor
This past month, two separate shootings in El Paso, Texas and Dayton, Ohio have left over 30 people dead, and if the past few years are any indication, they are far from the last mass shootings that the United States will have to grapple with.
That’s because our nation’s government refuses to budge on the issue of guns. While many in Congress would like to see meaningful change on that front, many of the most powerful on Capitol Hill remain static and unmoving on the issue. Whether that is because of the lobbyist money lining their pockets or something else just depends on who you are talking about.
Mass shootings have become almost normalized in America. Every time one happens, the media jumps on it and gives the shooter more noterity than they deserve. Politicians go on camera and offer their “thoughts and prayers” as if those will actually fix anything. Within a few weeks, with a few notable exceptions like what happened in Parkland, it all vanishes from the news cycle, rarely to be spoken of again. In 2019, mass shootings are just something that happens.
It doesn’t have to be that way. It shouldn’t be.
Many people, such as Neil deGrasse Tyson, have pointed out statistics that show more people die from other things than mass shootings. “Often our emotions respond more to spectacle than to data” he said.
While that comment from Tyson came at an absolutely inappropriate time, those statistics aren’t necessarily inaccurate. The thing is though, it’s not about the stats.
Trevor Noah, host of “The Daily Show,” illustrated that better than I ever could on his Aug. 5 brodcast. Responding directly to Tyson’s comments, he said, “I feel like it [Tyson’s comments] fundamentally missed the human element of what people are fighting for in America. And that is: trying.”
He addressed all of the statistics that Tyson brought up, and then responded that when these things go wrong, we try to fix them as best as we can. He continued, “You’re not saying get rid of guns. You’re saying try to minimise the chances of this happening.”
Noah hit it right on the money. While I will never understand why people feel the need to own an AR-15, I also have to acknowledge that getting rid of guns is not the answer. It just wouldn’t work. There are responsible gun owners who don’t deserve to suffer because some lowlife decided to use one to murder a bunch of people.
So what is the answer? Is it better background checks? Is it a waiting period before being allowed to purchase one? The truth is I’m not sure.
I do know, however, that it is a question with a very complex answer that won’t please everyone. I do know, however, that the time has finally come to try to answer that question. We have been ignorant for far too long. How many more people will perish before we do something?
