I’m writing this on Saturday, June 17, 10:37 p.m. from my desk at home, and as of now there have been 137 recorded mass shootings in America. After every single one, our laws have not shifted one bit in order to stop this senseless violence in our country. Why? Ignorance.
Sunday, June 12, a gunman opened fire at a local Orlando nightclub killing 50 and injuring 53 people. The gunman, Omar Mateen, 29, of Port St. Lucie, Florida was on the F.B.I. watch list, and managed to buy a gun. This was not on the black market, and the reason was that the case was recently closed. So, he was then able to buy an assault weapon without any problem.
The United States, contrary to popular belief, is not the only first world country. Canada, just north of us, has had less than 15 mass shootings in the history of the entire country. Their gun control policy requires applicants to first pass a safety course depending on what you want the gun for, fill out the application, pass an extensive background/psychiatric check and then you may purchase the weapon. Civilians are only allowed to buy certain guns due to how many rounds they hold to prevent mass shootings, but no assault weapons.
Americans, stop arguing that same old, “Well, there will still be illegal guns sold.” Everybody knows that, but guns used in mass shootings are registered. When we get into court with the shooter, almost 80 percent of the time the person is mentally ill. We could have checked for that before he was sold that gun and saved those lives.
“If everybody had a gun, then people would think twice about shooting up places.” Imagine if everyone in the Pulse massacre had a gun; everyone would have died that night, so stop arguing the point that everyone is not trained in combat. When someone is set on shooting up an area, they are going to do it. They don’t care about anything else.
Let’s break down the Second Amendment while we are at it, because that’s what a lot of people are getting lost at. The Founding Fathers did begin this with what you want to hear: "the right to bear arms." The is what the Second Amendment actually reads: “A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed.” Which means farmers are allowed to protect their communities with use of firearms. So, really no one should have a gun, but we can let that slide.
Call me a hippy liberal all you want, but I’m sick and tired of the mass shootings. When the news is on the shootings, they are almost numb to us now, and that’s how common it is. It’s day 171, right now, as I am writing this, and we almost have more shootings than days in the year. Isn’t it enough, America? Open your eyes. Are your "liberties" worth this many lives?
