It's the same story, told again.
Another tragedy that seems to be falling on numbed souls –– how many deaths must happen before gun control is finally instituted? No matter how many prayers and thoughts are sent towards the victims of the Las Vegas massacre, it doesn't change the fact that this latest massacre follows in the footsteps of its predecessors, and it doesn't change the fact that there are still assault rifles on the streets and in the homes of civilians.
Four Loko was banned in multiple states after several young people were hospitalized, so why have we not taken the same precaution against the weapon that kills (on average), 93 Americans a day?
Las Vegas. The Pulse nightclub. Virginia Tech. Sandy Hook. Columbine. Some of the most infamous events in recent history. There are more: Luby's Cafeteria, University of Texas, Binghamton, San Bernadino... the list goes on and on.
It's true that people kill people, not guns. However, given America's depressingly frequent mass shootings, it's necessary to consider: would a knife cause as much damage? For the sake of making an argument with all facts taken into account, I feel like it should be acknowledged that the FBI has confirmed that more people were killed by knives and hands/feet than rifles in the year 2011.
However, fact-checking site PolitiFact points out that this statistic only accounts for rifles, not any other kind of gun. Taking into account all the date from the year this statistic was pulled, approximately 323 people were killed in 2011 by rifles, 496 by blunt objects (hammers, clubs, etc.), 728 by "personal weapons" (hands/feet), and 1,694 by knives.
If you just looked at these numbers, it seems to say that gun control won't affect homicidal patterns in the United States. Except for a few numbers that have been ignored: 6,220 Americans were killed by handguns, 356 by shotguns, 97 by "other guns", and 1,587 by "firearm, type not stated."
Is the math necessary at this point? it's obvious that firearms are the cause of the most deaths by homicide in the United States, and that's not including those who die from suicide or from household accidents.
In Australia and the UK, gun control laws were instigated following tragic shootings, the kinds of which have become commonplace in America. Deaths by firearm account for 30% of homicides in Canada, 13% in Australia, 4.5 in England and Wales, and.... 64% in the United States. Why? What will mark the final straw?
In Scotland, the massacre that drew the line was the killing of 16 children at the Dublane primary school. Think about it. Has anything happened in recent US history that could measure up? Political commentator Dan Hodges said, "In retrospect, Sandy Hook marked the end of the US gun control debate. Once America decided killing children was bearable, it was over."
We can't let that be true. How many more people have to die in places meant to be safe? How many students, teachers, parents, music fans? How many deaths marks too many? Columbine should have been the end. Sandy Hook should have been the end. Maybe we can make Las Vegas be the end.
Call your representatives. Sign petitions. Don't stand down. Don't wait until the next massacre to take action.
