Last week Americans witnessed unspeakable acts of violence on our own turf. The first shooting, at a Planned Parenthood clinic in Colorado Springs, left 3 dead, while the second mass shooting in San Bernardino killed 14. In the midst of all this death, Americans need to come together and bring peace to our communities.
These attacks are all part of a larger pattern of gun violence. There have been far too many mass shootings. Thousands of people are dying from gun violence every year. Whether it be the death of a black man at the hands of the police, death as a result of city gun violence, or death of schoolchildren at the hands of a mass shooter, the violence has to stop. The loss of every American citizen is a tragedy.
Democrats and Republicans both want the same thing - an end to the killing, but it is the means that cause controversy. Tragedy is used to further political agendas. Democrats are quick to point out the Planned Parenthood shooter’s radical right-wing views, while Republicans are sounding the ISIS alarm. In truth, it doesn’t matter the view. There are extremists on both sides of the political spectrum. No religious or political motivation can ever justify the killing of innocent human beings, but lashing out against pro-lifers and Muslims will not fix anything.
Extremism is certainly a problem in our country, but extremism does not work alone in creating the perfect storm. Mental health, childhood trauma, culture, home environment, and availability of guns often work together to create a climate of violence. Children grow up in these toxic climates, and grow up to perpetuate the cycle of violence.
If the climate of violence is the kindling, America’s gun problem is the match that lights the fire. The unfortunate truth is that America has a massive gun culture. It is estimated that ⅓ of households own guns, amounting to about 300 million guns total. According to BBC, 60% of homicides are committed with guns, compared to 31% in Canada, 18.2% in Australia, and 10% in the UK. 353 mass shootings have occurred in the US this year alone. While guns can be a means of self-defense, too many are getting into the hands of the wrong people. Assault rifles are all too easy to obtain, and their effects can be devastating.
Murder is not a partisan issue, it is a human issue. The whole world came together to support Paris after the terrorist attacks there, it is time America came together to put an end to gun violence. It isn’t about race, religion, or political affiliation, it’s about being a human being who wants to put an end to the killing of other human beings. It’s time for a call to peace. Our children can’t afford for us to wait.
