I’d be lying if I told you I didn't fear for the United States. With all of the mass shootings that have occurred and the political candidates, the fate of America as we know it seems a little uncertain. And you would probably be lying too if you said you were not as equally alarmed as I am.
I know that the second amendment permits people to carry a gun. I know we are not supposed to fear terrorists, but I do. I know we are supposed to trust the leader (or future leaders) of America, but I don’t. Not really. I know we are not supposed to stop living our lives the way we want too, the way America has allowed us to and I won’t. I will not. I will not cower down, I will not allow all of these horrible things to stop me from living. But I would be lying if I told you that I didn't worry.
I am worried about who will become president. And I am worried about the fact that mass shootings have become such a common occurrence. I am concerned about gun laws.
This past Saturday morning, I saw on the news that there had been a shooting at a club in Orlando, Florida. I sat there, not even stunned. I didn’t even flinch. I was sad of course and was immediately concerned about those lives lost. But I was not shocked that there had been yet another mass shooting.
Why? You may ask, I think this desensitized reaction, is due, in large part, to the fact that our society has become so immune to news regarding shootings and guns. We have become so used to hearing politicians bicker over gun laws. Sometimes, it seems, parties seem to reject the others laws just to reject the other party.
While people are bound to argue over whose fault it was, the guns, the shooter, society, terrorists. Can’t we all agree that this was horrible? That there are so many horrible things taking place around us. That this shouldn’t happen. That today’s children are becoming immune to violence. Desensitized to the horrors of the world. So many lives being lost for no good reason. Too many lives. Too much violence. Too much blame. And not enough explanation.
We live in a world full of terrorism, of death, of violence, of fear, of mass shootings, of threats. Isn’t it sad that we cannot go to the movies, to church, run a marathon, go on the subway or even go to school, without the thought of a shooting crossing our minds?
What has happened to this country, to the world? That has caused fear to become the norm. What has happened that it is acceptable and normal to always be a little hesitant, to never feel completely safe?
In the past 10 years, there have been 186 mass killings, 146 of those were mass shootings. In the past seven years, 900 people have fallen victim to these mass shootings.
In June of last year, Senator Harry Reid stated, “The United States is the only advanced country where this type of mass violence occurs. Let’s do something.”
Why don’t we take his advice and start doing something? I don’t know what that something is, but we have to do something. We have to start somewhere. For the good of the American people, for the good of our future generations.
And as for politics, we cannot count on any candidate, whether it be Trump, Sanders or Clinton, to make America great again, only we, the people, have the power to do that.
The way the world has responded in the wake of terror is the only thing that brings me a sense of comfort. The way people have come together, to show their support and their sadness. That soothes my soul and makes me think that maybe, just maybe, all of this violence and terror will stop. That maybe the good will once again triumph and prevail against the bad.
