Its become commonplace.
"Shooting reported." "3 confirmed wounded; fatalities unknown." "Rumored to be two active shooters."
There have been more shootings in the United States in 2015 than there have been days.
336 days. 355 shootings.
After 14 people were killed and 21 wounded at a center for developmental disabilities in San Bernardino, California on December 2nd, there was a rush as the public expressed outrage and frustration over the fact that this keeps happening. We are the only country in the world that faces this type of issue; repeated, perfunctory acts of mass gun violence in the last place you'd expect it to happen.
Since San Bernardino, people have been asking themselves and their elected officials why this is being allowed to continue to happen. A lot of the time the answer is a lack of a perfect solution, but here is the fact: there is no perfect solution. Something has got to be done because we cannot go on like this anymore.
Social media has erupted with articles, infographics and memes expressing opinions on both sides of the gun debate. There was the mass shooting timeline with the "336 days, 355 shootings" tagline from the Washington Post , a heartbreaking plea from the sister of a Sandy Hook victim on Daily Dot and, on the other side, an article on CNN speaking on the supposed ineffectiveness of gun reform.
The New York Times even featured an editorial on the "moral outrage that civilians can legally purchase weapons designed to kill people with brutal speed and efficiency" as their front page story; this is something that hasn't occurred in 95 years.
But there was an article I read titled, "Your Opinion on Gun Control Doesn't Matter" that hits on the desperation and utter frustration a lot of us are feeling.
It's true that America will probably never completely agree on what to do about gun control. But when we are faced with the problem of having shootings becoming a normal part of life, something drastic needs to change, and intense gun reform is our best option right now. It doesn't matter how many times you shout out, "guns don't kill people, people kill people." The fact remains that it is relatively easy in our country to obtain hugely dangerous firearms, and that we have created an environment of tragic acceptance.
Three killed, dozens wounded in Colorado? What a tragedy, we'll send prayers. Nine dead at an Oregon college? How sad, thoughts are with them. There is no action. There is no substantial change happening, and that is something we can no longer abide.
The evidence stands, both England and Australia implemented famously strict gun laws after both faced mass shootings in the eighties and nineties. Since enacting these laws neither country has experienced a mass shooting. It took one devastating gun-related tragedy to spur these nations to change their laws. Why has it taken us so many?
The United States has accepted these hundreds of mass shootings with little more than sympathetic speeches and syndicated vigils.
We can continue calling for change, but it seems to me like America gave up when we decided that the murder of twenty children was something we could accept as something we didn't have the power to prevent.
We do.
We can start by contacting our politicians to do something other than offer prayers and support. Because, honestly, that's just not able to cut it.
