Sidenote: Plot and characters are fictional, yet the shooting in Gilroy and the facts about it, are true.

"Okay class, so today while we were supposed to talk about and debate the issues relating to the Freedom of Speech today, due to the recent events happening in Gilroy, we are going to be talking about and debate the 2nd amendment instead" the teacher stated. "So, can we have the Republicans sit to the right, Democrats sit to the left, and the White Supremacists in the middle". We all got up slowly, and moved to our assigned seats.

"So, what do we think about the incident?" the teacher asked.

"It's sad, and we send our prayers" Will said, speaking from the right side of the room.

"Well, we didn't ask for him to do it, so it's not our fault" said Frank, speaking from the middle.

"This is very sad, and demonstrates that we need new gun reform in this country" Jen said from the left.

"You just want to take away our guns!" said Christy from the right.

"We don't want to take away your guns! We just want to create stricter gun laws that would prevent shootings like this won't happen again. If you oppose that, then what do you suggest we do? Your prayers don't do very much these days!" Louis from the left said.

"We'll have to agree with Christy on this" David from the middle added.

The debate went further and further on like this, where the students assigned to the Republican and Democrat party positions heavily debated back and forth, while the students assigned to the White Supremacy party sat quiet in the middle, agreeing with everything said by the Republicans.

"So, what are plausible solutions to prevent shootings like this from happening more?" the teacher asked the class.

"I say that festivals now need to tighten security, and have their participants go through metal detectors and more. While it is inconvenient for people, and the lines will be long, it will keep everyone safe" said Will.

"That is abhorrent! I mean, that does nothing to help solve the problem of guns in the first place! People are not the problem, guns are! Therefore, we need reform of the gun laws in our country. For example, we need to have stronger federal gun laws. The Gilroy festival shooter obtained his gun from Nevada, due to its lax gun laws, and was able to get it over the state border in California. If we had stronger federal laws, he might not have been able to get the gun, and those three young people might not have been killed!" Jen said.

"We're going to agree with Will here. We don't want our guns taken away" David added.

"And why are you in the conversation? Your entire ideology is one of the main reasons why this shooting happened. And the reason why so many more shootings have happened" Louis stated.

"We as Americans have the Freedom of Speech, and we can say whatever we want" Frank replied.

"Plus, the President of the United States said that there are good people on both sides. So, there are some of us that are good too" David said.

"Excuse me! I don't even know why your group is counted as a political party in this simulation that we are playing! Teacher, literally this group that you put in the middle has been founded upon the idea of Whites being the most superior humans compared to others. That is racism in the highest degree." Jen explained to the teacher.

"And that is my point here. Yes, the gun debate is very important, and it does need a solution. But, when the President does not condone the White Nationalist's role in these shootings, especially in inspiring its followers to conduct them, there is something entirely wrong with that. Furthermore, saying 'there are good people on both sides' can be applied to any political party, and because of that, and the harsher criticism that the President has made towards the Democrats than the White Supremacists, I placed them as a political party in this debate" the teacher elaborated.

When a group such as White Supremacy has influenced the events to the degree that it has, and with its support from people such as the President, and lack of condemning from Republicans, then the group might as well be a political party; because we have simply accepted hate and racism as a part of US Politics.

For Further Reading

Koseff & Gafni "Gilroy shooting shows how California's gun laws are undermined by its neighbors"

NBC News "Trump, Local Politicians React to Shooting at Garlic Festival in Gilroy, Calif."

McLaughlin & Campbell "Extremist material was found in a home used by the Gilroy festival shooter, source says"

Rupar "The Gilroy, California, shooting highlights a big hole in Trump’s logic about gun violence"