Did you know that there is a mass shooting (4 or more injured or killed) almost every day
in the US? I did not. I was feeling overwhelmed from the news reports over the
last couple of weeks and started digging. Now I’m really overwhelmed.
Clearly, the US has a problem. (Gosh, really, just one?) The
NRA and gun lobby are stronger than most of our congress people apparently. What
does it take to get “the people” riled up?
I had hope after the Sandy Hook shootings (27 killed, 2
injured) in 2012.
I had hope after the Santa Monica College shooting (June
2013, 5 killed, 3 injured)
I had hope after the Inland Regional Center shooting
(December 2015, 14 killed, 21 injured).
I knew the Pulse nightclub shooting (49 killed, 53 injured) in
June 2016 in Orlando FL wouldn’t get enough people riled up – after all, it was
only gay people. That’s a whole ‘nuther rant, don’t get me started.
I had hope after the Las Vegas shootings (October 2017, 58
killed, 422 injured). [1]
I got to a point, that here in 2018, I couldn’t listen to
the news, for fear of another mass shooting report. Now I know why – there’s
one almost daily. Just this month in the US, 33 people have been killed and 84
injured in mass shootings in the US in 22
incidents in 14 states. In 2018, so far ABC15 reports 294 incidents[2].
So October 2018 seems to be a little less than average.
So, to you reasonable people who are reading this particular
rant – what can we do to reduce gun
deaths in the US? Will it take a Hollywood actor being killed in a mass shooting
before we get visibility? Similar to how women’s wages and the “Me Too”
movements only became “visible” when Hollywood got involved? Or when AIDS
research picked up when Magic Johnson announced his status? No one seems to
have an answer to this very reasonable (to me) question.
Let us be unreasonable then – make it personal. Write a heartfelt
letter to your Congress person(s). Tell them of the people you know who have
been killed in mass shootings – or in less-then-mass shootings. (I know two personally;
you must know or be closely connected to someone too.) Here's where you can find out who your representative(s) is/are:
Express your outrage. Even if it is only to say no more
automatic weapons or semi-automatic weapons readily available at your local
market. This is a start. Once we start, who knows what we can accomplish?
I don’t want you to be the third person I know killed by gun
violence.
[1] Numbers
of deaths and injured at specific events from: https://www.washingtonpost.com/graphics/2018/national/mass-shootings-in-america/?noredirect=on&utm_term=.befab6228eeb;
10-30-2018 16:52
