April 4, 2018, marked the 50th anniversary of the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr. in Memphis, Tennessee by James Earl Ray. It has been a rough 50 years since then, particularly regarding incidences of gun violence. Other high profile figures such as John F. Kennedy Jr. and his brother Robert F. Kennedy have also been assassinated in 1963 and 1968, respectively.
Former United States President Ronald Reagan was the target of an assassination attempt in 1981. There have been countless instances of mass shootings in recent years in our schools as well as in other public areas like movie theaters and music festivals.
Mass shootings have occurred at various campuses like Columbine High School, Sandy Hook Elementary School, Virginia Tech, and Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, just to name a few. There have also been other instances of gun violence in places like Las Vegas, Nevada, and Aurora, Colorado.
Have we made any strides towards eliminating gun violence? It is a difficult question to answer definitively. While there have been movements, marches, and laws enacted over the years, the question as to whether any of those things have made an actual impact is not clear. We see different laws passed, but yet we still look at these occurrences of gun violence around the country.
I am not saying that we should stop doing anything to help prevent these instances of violence because that would only make matters worse. However, there is so much more that needs to be done besides enacting various laws regarding who can buy a gun and what kind of gun can they acquire.
Many of those who have carried out these heinous attacks have had other issues that can be considered as factors as to why they did what they did. Mental health problems, various types of abuse, and bullying are frequent underlying causes as to why these tragedies have occurred.
I often feel that there is not enough focus on addressing those factors. Students have been quick to call for gun control and have walk-outs to help demonstrate their cause, but we do not really see them trying things like trying to be friends with those who are loners or may be bullying victims. We do not always have to go public to make a difference. Sometimes it is the smaller things that can make the biggest difference in our lives.