As everyone probably knows, this past weekend has been an eventful one in Orlando, Florida.
On Friday, June 10th, 2016, Christina Grimmie was shot and killed at her Orlando concert. Christina Grimmie was an artist who started off by uploading covers of famous songs onto Youtube and eventually ended up placing 3rd in the NBC show, The Voice. I remember watching her videos all the way back in middle school, and during my junior year of high school, I got to see her perform live when she was opening for Selena Gomez. The artist was signing autographs after her Orlando show when a man, who was carrying two guns and a hunting knife, approached and shot her, eventually killing her.
On Sunday, June 12th, 2016, (not even two days later!) another heartbreaking incident occurred miles away from the concert venue. Pulse, an LGBT nightclub in Orlando, was hosting a "Latin Night" and the club had about 300 people there. Around 2 a.m., 50 people were brutally murdered and at least another 53 were wounded. The killer in this scene was carrying an assault rifle and a pistol and open fired at the club. I personally have very close ties with the LGBT community so this event also hit home for me.
After having back to back incidents that are truly terrifying when it comes to the safety of our country, I feel like some facts need to be heard. On an average, every day, 297 people in America are shot in murders, assaults, suicides and suicide attempts, unintentional shootings, and police interventions. Every day, 89 people die from gun violence, 31 of whom are murdered. Every day, more than two children under the age of 18 are shot and killed. The pool of people who commit these horrifying crimes range from adults all the way to toddlers, and the killings are accidental as often as they are planned. Considering all of these facts, the 114th Congress is still sitting quietly on this topic.
Gun control is an understandably touchy topic and there are many arguments on either side. People argue that having the right to possess a gun makes them feel safe. But at this point, possession of guns is what makes me feel unsafe. And sure people argue that those who want to commit such crimes can find a way to obtain firearms, but we could at least eliminate accidental deaths that happen when, for example, a two year old picks up a gun thinking it is a toy, points it at his mother, and pulls the trigger. Whether it be a 22 year old shot at “just another one of her concerts", or a group of 50 killed on their “fun night out”, the fact is that these human beings died senseless deaths which might have just been prevented if gun laws were just a little more prominent. Sure as Americans, we have the right to bear arms, but we also have the right to live our lives without having to deal with the constant fear of being shot at any moment. So are guns really the right measure to take for safety?
