June 12, 2016 I arrived home from Mexico tired and exhausted. When I woke up and saw the notifications on my phone. I was informed that the day marked the worse mass shooting in US history (again) and I promptly went back to sleep. I deemed I was too tired to process that type of information at the moment.

I have fallen into the trap.

I have successfully (unfortunately) become desensitized to mass, frequent violence that plagues our nation.

A part of what makes people desensitized is the feeling of utter defeat, despair and hopelessness. When it seems like there is nothing that millions of mourning voices and broken hearts can do to change simple policies to protect the innocent in this country, people cannot help but to become desensitized.

I was born in 1995. Since I was born, there has been in 62 of mass shooting in the United States (link here) as compared to Rampage Shooting Index that tracked the number of fatalities of gun wounds between 2009-2013; the United Kingdom suffered 13 deaths, Canada with 6, Italy with 3, Japan with 1 and 16 other nations with ZERO.

This is not normal! Even with population controlled for, we still have an epidemic. (More explanation here and here). We have a serious problem and I am a part of that problem.

I pride myself on being an informed, articulate, and clear-minded individual. Embarrassingly enough, I am ashamed to admit that I am a part of the problem.

The fact that I allowed myself to become desensitized makes me a more dangerous threat than the people who are in the position to change the laws and regulations in our country yet choose not to. My apparent disinterest gives the wrong people power they should never have. It is an automatic transaction.

Well, I have decided to consciously become a part of the solution. There are many people across the country who are doing a lot to improve the circumstances of our nation and it is time I joined them.

How?

In all honesty, I do not know. I do not know if I will be successful or if my contribution will make a difference. After all, how many millions of people have been affected and still nothing has been done? (By nothing, I mean there has literally been no legislation passed on gun reform despite the current epidemic haunting our nation.) If that has not worked, why would one more voice make a difference?

It will not.

I am not one voice.

I represent a generation of millions of voices.

Notice, earlier I said apparent disinterest. That does not mean that people do not actually care. People are afraid and feel powerless. When people are faced with apparently insurmountable obstacles, a common self-defense mechanism is indifference.

Being the slightly cynical character I am, I see only one way to successfully see change in our nation. The solution lies in Congress and how much they value their careers during reelection season. They may not care about securing the future of the safety and well-being of the public, but they do care about their jobs. You can make a lot of money as a sitting Congressman or Congresswoman without actually doing anything helpful. I am sure the benefits are great as well.

This may sound trite, but it is true. In order to get what we want, we need to recognize what is truly important and valuable to the people who have access to what we want. Fear of reelection is an excellent motivator to do the right thing. It is unfortunate, but it is true.

Steps to becoming a part of the solution is relatively straightforward:

1. Get informed. This can be one of the most challenging parts. You need to education yourself on the issue of mass violence. What it is- and is not- and determine what is being done (or more accurately, not done). You need to learn about who the major key players are and where they stand.
2. Contact your elected officials. (I know it sounds corny and cliché, but they do actually work for you! Ideally (or unrealistically), they represent your interest. How else are they going to know your interests if you do not say anything?)
3. Follow up. Remember this: they work for you. You are not a bother, you are their constituent. Track their record in Congress and see what type of action (or inaction) that has taken place. If there is something being done (or not done) that bothers you, let them know.
4. Encourage others. Spread the word. Never underestimate the power of social media and speaking up.

Senators can be found here.

House Representative can be found here.

More information about upcoming reelections can be found here and here.