The New York Times published an editorial piece on gun control on December 4. The piece, entitled “End the Gun Epidemic in America,” was published on the front page of the Times. There has not been another editorial published on page A1 of the Times since 1920.
I think this deserves some conversation about the importance of gun control in this country, if the mass shootings in California haven’t influenced it already.
Mass shootings and gun violence have been the reasons for way too many lost lives in the United States. It seems that people are so blind to the idea that gun violence is an issue because of their undying love for the second amendment of the Constitution.
On that note: yes, it is every American’s right to obtain a gun. It is their right to bear arms. Since 1791, the Bill of Rights has allowed this.
But in 2015 alone, over 352 mass shootings have plagued the United States. This includes shootings in movie theaters, the Planned Parenthood shooting in Colorado, and the San Bernardino shooting in California.
We have not challenged legislation or made efforts to regulate gun laws, even though thousands of people have died by guns this year. It feels ridiculous that we haven’t tried to do anything about this.
America has made significant strides to stop people from texting and driving, even though some “bad apples” have ignored the “X the Text” ads. We have not stopped emphasizing that drunk driving is dangerous and a threat to human lives. But when people challenge the worthiness of the second amendment in contemporary society, suddenly American lives are less important than the rights they’re granted.
The Bill of Rights is full of amendments meant to be revised. It is upsetting that we haven’t tried to revise the right to bear arms to reflect the changes in American history. Since 1791, we have made efforts to advance ourselves in technology, women’s rights, civil rights, and much more. The second amendment is something that has remained a constant right to Americans for centuries, and risked those same American lives increasingly every year.
When are we going to realize that gun violence is an act of terrorism itself? When are we going to understand that mass shootings and deaths by guns are hurting Americans more than protecting us?
I’m frustrated by the lack of awareness people have in this country. Guns are killing people, and the right to bear arms is outdated. We can’t keep reporting about gun violence and fighting about the ways in which shooters obtain firearms. We need to take a harder look at the second amendment and decide what’s more important: the right to bear arms, or the lives of our citizens.
