Ten people were killed, including the gunman and nine were injured in a mass shooting at Umpqua Community College in southwest Oregon on Thursday, October 1 according to CNN.
The gunman shot point blank at the professor, then demanded each student to stand up and state his or her religion. He then shot at each Christian student one by one. I would make the point that this is yet another shooting in which people are victimized based on their religion, but that isn’t even the point.
A mass shooting is defined as an incident in which four or more people are shot according to the Mass Shooting Tracker.
There have now been 294 mass shootings have been reported this past year according to Reuters and the Mass Shooting Tracker website. This event is also the 45th school shooting this year according to the Mass Shooting Tracker.
How many lives must be taken in order for us to actually do something?
Think about it: 294 mass shootings in 274 days; 45 school shootings this year.
How is America letting this happen? There is no excuse for any of this.
This is the 31st mass shooting since Columbine, according to NBC.
“Somehow this has become routine. The reporting is routine," President Barack Obama stated last night. "My response here, at this podium ends up being routine. We’ve become numb to this.”
During Obama's press conference, he sounded exasperated and later very solemn.
“I hope and pray I don’t have to come out again during my tenure as presidency to offer my consoledences to families in these circumstances,” President Obama said. “But based on my experiences as president I can’t guaranteed that and that’s terrible to think."
I am sickened that school shootings have become a norm in this country. Over and over again we grieve over the loss of innocent people and say we need a change.
We need to become stricter with gun laws or these people have mental illnesses and they need help. But when will action finally be taken?
Oregon does have universal background checks, according to TODAY Show's Willie Geist on Friday morning's live taping.
Every single time we hear about a mass shooting in the news, we say action needs to be taken. Well, we’ve had 142 school shootings since Sandy Hook in 2012 and four have occurred on the college campus, according to NBC.
Of course there’s a whole process in which laws must be enforced, but I haven't heard a single thing regarding any laws being taken into consideration to be enforced.
It’s really sad not only that I have to hear the statement “did you hear about the school shooting?” but when I do hear it, I have to reply with “which one?” or “really? Another one?”
I shouldn’t have to hear about any school shootings in the first place. School shootings and mass shootings are inexcusable and my heart breaks a little more each time I hear about innocent lives being taken. At the same time it’s not even like I’m surprised anymore when I hear about one.
I hope one day in my lifetime, I won’t have to hear about yet another mass shooting or school shooting. I hope my parents won’t have to worry about me at school to make sure nothing will happen. And I hope when I have kids I won’t have to fear for their safety when I send them off to school.
Enough is enough, America.
