We need to recognize the impact of gun violence in the U.S.

Fabienne Fleurantin/ Staff Writer

On Sunday, Nov. 5, 26 people lost their lives to the senseless act of a madman. The gunman, David Patrick Kelley, “dressed in all black, wearing tactical gear opened fire at First Baptist Church in Sutherland Springs, Texas, during Sunday service,” according to CNN.com.

Kelley, 26, was found dead after Stephen Willeford, the man who shot and chased the gunman, said he was “in fear for his and the congregation’s safety,” as mentioned on CNN.

This is a narrative that is becoming all too familiar and being told too frequently. It’s as if we have normalized the idea that shootings are something to be expected as opposed to being outrageous.

The sheer fact that we are no longer surprised to hear that another shooting occurred indicates that there is a deep divide within the country that needs to be confronted.

There have been 372 mass shootings in the U.S. in 2015, killing 475 people and wounding 1,870, according to the Mass Shooting Tracker.

Sixty-four school shootings have occurred in 2015, and some 13,286 were killed in the U.S. by firearms in 2015, according to the Gun Violence Archive, and 26,819 people were injured, with those figured excluding suicide, according to BBC.com.

How many shootings is it going to take for people to realize that gun violence is a problem in our country? People can keep saying that “guns don’t kill people, people kill people,” and “don’t take away my Second Amendment right,” but that isn’t the point here.

There needs to be action and conversation. I am sick of slacktivism and the lack of acknowledgement of these events taking place.

We see parents losing their children, friends being torn apart, mothers and fathers dying at the hands of people who had no right to access guns in the first place.

The fact that it was easy for them to access these firearms is an even worse indication of what needs to change.

Facebook filters and hashtags are not enough. The government needs to wake up and put some legislations in place to stop this epidemic from continuing.

I beg of you, as a people, put away your pride and look at what is happening to us as a nation. Congress, stop being petty, put aside your politics and get down to what matters.

At the heart of it all, people matter more than power. I hope that in time, we can all see that.

 

DISCLAIMER:

The opinions presented within this page do not represent the views of Panther Press Editorial Board. These views are separate from editorials and reflect individual perspectives of contributing writers and/or members of the University community.

 

Photo taken from Flickr.

Be the first to comment on "We need to recognize the impact of gun violence in the U.S."

Leave a comment

Your email address will not be published.


*