Shock.

Disgust.

Anger.

Sorrow.

All of these words have a negative connotation, yet none of them are adequate to describe my response to the recent tragedy in which a single gunman killed 50 people at a gay nightclub in Orlando. Again, that is 50 people killed and 53 people were hospitalized for their injuries. That makes this event the worst mass shooting in U.S. history, surpassing the previous most deadly mass shooting at Virginia Tech in 2007 when a student took the lives of 32 people before taking his own.

The tragedy seems so surreal, as one of my friends put it — this is a catastrophe that would only happen in a really messed-up video game, to put it lightly. Yet the tragedy is as real as ever. I send my love to all of the friends and family of the Orlando shooting victims who had their lives taken away too early. I see many across the nation grieving for the loss, standing in support of the LGBT community so that pride can overcome fear in a time as devastating as this.

However, Americans must admit that some of us are becoming numb to the idea of mass shootings and flagrant violence. After all, people die every day. Massive displays of violence such as these are simply adding to the death toll. We feel as if there is little to be done about national tragedies. There are always going to be radicals and extremists who take out their hatred on others and cause the deaths of numerous people. Would protesting about the situation even help? All we can do is hear about it on the news and then continue on with our daily lives.

For all of the prayers and mourning for the tragedy I have witnessed, I have also seen some internet posts turning this tragedy into a religious and political argument.

Honestly, I am astonished that there are misinformed Americans who believe that this was an act of Islamic terrorism and not simply a case of blatant homophobia. Personally, I wish we would focus on what we should do about the fact that homophobia is still an issue in an age when most individuals agree that the LGBTQ+ community should not be discriminated against. But now, we have polarizing opinions on what we should do about ISIS and Muslims entering the country.

We also have a new peak in the never ending debate on gun control. Should we increase regulation of gun ownership? That may improve national security by placing fewer guns in the hands of Americans who may potentially use them to do harm to others. Should we lessen our restrictions? That could mean more rule-abiding Americans would have access to guns because criminals could illegally obtain guns from the black market anyway. In the end, both sides have their own line of reasoning.

I am surely not saying that these political issues are not important. National security and gun control are absolutely relevant topics for the current political atmosphere, and I encourage everyone to educate themselves from several sources and form their own opinion on these topics. Although this mass murder was heartbreaking, it did raise awareness about current debates in the political realm.

The problem lies in the fact that some of us are making a bigger deal over these gray area debates than the fact that over 100 people were killed or injured by the hands of a single gunman. Certain politicians especially are manipulating the events of this disaster to facilitate their own agenda. We should address ways to prevent a situation like this from happening again while always remembering the lives that were ended early because of the acts of a cruel man.

So I beg of you, please do not become numb to mass violence. It is happening around you, more than you think, even today.