Terrible things happen everyday, they seem to get worse and worse with no end in sight; at least in United States. We claim to be one of the best countries, still entertaining the idea that the "American Dream" is still valid, but is it? Is the "American Dream" one that includes rape, mass shootings, and weapon wielding mentally ill? I don't believe it is, but unfortunately, the longer that violent behavior is considered the new normal, the further our reputation as a nation falls.
Recently it was revealed that Brock Turner, a former Standford student that raped an unresponsive girl behind a dumpster would only serve three months for his crime. The assault that was committed in this case is punishable by fifteen years to life in prison, and so like most violent acts that the nation is made aware of, we are appalled. Yet this aversion to despicable behavior gets swept under the rug as soon as the news outlets recycle the story out for something new. Rape is referred to as sexual assault and while we take aim at one person for their crime, we lose site of the big picture; that because of our culture, rape and violence continues to survive.
Within the past week Orlando, Florida has seen two acts of gun violence that devastated the nation, the first was the shooting and murder of former "Voice" contestant Christina Grimmie by an alleged obsessed fan, Kevin James Loibl. The singer was meeting fans after a concert that she performed at, and was fatally shot by Loibl, who then proceeded to shoot himself after being tackled. Just days later, Omar Mateen - an American who allegedly pledged allegiance to ISIS - entered a gay nightclub and in a mass shooting killed at least 50 people. The attack is considered the largest terror attack since 9/11, and is the largest mass shooting in the nation's history.
Both of these occasions join long lists of gun violence and mass shootings in the United State's history. In the moment these developments are considered shocking, but with each death, and each assault we become slightly more desensitized, and that's it the most disturbing part of all.
In December of 2012 when 20 year-old Adam Lanza walked into Sandy Hook Elementary and killed over 20 first graders, the nation wept. People vowed to never let such a terrible act occur again, yet the same was said when James Holmes opened fire in a Colorado movie theatre the summer before. When two brothers attacked the Boston Marathon in April of 2013, the country came together to mourn the injured and killed, but it didn't change the fact that we still endure acts of terror with a shrug of our shoulders as if it were an average occurrence.
Whether the shooter is motivated by terroristic ambitions or mental illness, gun violence is a topic that does not seem to be handled with the urgency that it requires, similar to the unresolved rape culture.
It is a cycle that will only end if we work united; united in a fight against violence, united against the new normal.
