Juan Pablo Rivera Garza
Blogs Editor
“Can we say that we’re truly doing enough to give all the children of this country the chance they deserve to live out their lives in happiness and with purpose?
I’ve been reflecting on this the last few days, and if we’re honest with ourselves, the answer’s no. We’re not doing enough. And we will have to change.” -President Barack Obama
The events that transpired in Newtown, Connecticut on Dec. 14 will forever be remembered by the American people, and rightfully so. Our nation has been marred forever by the shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary, our very national psyche has been rattled. 20 young, beautiful, and promising souls, all of them between the ages of 6 and 7, lost their lives that Friday, alongside 6 brave and caring adults who sacrificed themselves for the children they swore to educate and protect. Their deaths were tragic and senseless. In the aftermath of a tragedy of this magnitude it is difficult to find meaning. But, even then there are still lessons that can be drawn from this.
Maybe, it was the fact that this incident hit so close to home, in a community so much like our own, that made feel absolutely devastated. In the hours after the shootings, I saw my fellow classmates and friends take to social media to express their grief and mourning for the loss of these young and innocent children. The posts that people made, whether on twitter or facebook, were beautiful and heartfelt, but they were still not enough.
In the 4 years that President Obama has been in office, 4 mass shootings have killed swaths of innocent people, not to mention countless other public shootings that have become commonplace in our country. Yet, even with all these horrible mass murders, our country has refused to build the courage to act. The fact of the matter is, we are a nation of cowards. All of us are guilty of this crime. We have allowed all of these horrible incidents to go unanswered. I don’t make an accusation like that lightly, but I have seen too many tragedies unfold in recent years with no action taken to prevent further spilling of blood.
Only two weeks before the shooting, an attempt by sports broadcaster Bob Costas to address the perverse gun culture that exists in our country was shouted down by those who refused to listen. The attempts to silence a national conversation on guns not only disrespects but it also tarnishes the memory of the young children of Sandy Hook. I’ve seen many people in the face of these tragedies to claim that the discussion on gun control or anything like it was wrong, too soon, or was the “politicization” of a tragedy. We cannot run away from this conversation just because it makes us uncomfortable.
There is a problem in this country. We have an obsession with guns and violence, and there is no denying this. Our politicians are bought and sold by the powerful gun-lobby in this country, who refuse to even have reasonable legislation that deals with military-grade weapons, like the .223 Bushmaster used in the shooting, that have no place in a civilian’s home. Our culture is littered with violence that enables troubled youth, like the perpetrators of many mass shootings, whether it be in movies or in video games. Lastly, our mental health system is broken, and many of these troubled youths have not been properly treated or cared for. These are essential truths, and they need to be addressed. If they are not we once again allow ourselves to passively accept tragedies like Sandy Hook as routine.
There are solutions to end this crisis, and steps have already been made in the right direction. The President has called on Vice President Joe Biden to head a task force to determine the best course of action to prevent mass shootings. Numerous legislators have voiced their support for a return to the assault weapons ban.
But, these ideas will not come to fruition without the support of the American people, we must demand that our representatives act. This tragedy has weighed heavily on our souls, but it will be nothing compared to the feeling of utter failure we will feel when another attack occurs due to lack of action. This is the greatest country on the face of the Earth, and the fact that we have not been able to solve this problem is disgusting. For this reason, I implore my fellow citizens to call for action, it’s the least we can do to honor the memories of those who have cherished.
I totally disagree with 100’s comment. Good work, Juan! The only disrespect we can do is not address how to change our nations gun-obsession. We have the highest percentage of gun ownership in developed nations and we continue to feed the illogical idea that a gun will protect us. In 2008 the US had 12,000 gun related homicides, in the same year Japan had 11. 100, please reconsider the idea that trying to find a solution to a tragedy is a disrespect.
Ish, 100 wasn’t saying that finding a solution to a tragedy is a disrespect. First off, gun control is not a solution to the Newtown tragedy. Those innocent people are gone, and banning the sale of guns won’t bring them back. His point was that we should not use the killings of 26 innocent individuals as a way to advance our political opinions. The author praises Obama and Biden for being proactive in enforcing gun control. Really? What has Obama done to control the sales of guns? Nothing. Once again you are confused between what Obama says he is going to do, and what he actually does. So please, it’s only one week after such a sad tragedy, don’t use it as a pawn in your political strategy.
To your point about banning guns not being able to bring back the victims, I agree it wont. But it will help prevent any future incidents similar to Sandy Hook. To your second point about Obama and Biden not doing anything about gun control, I agree with you once more. However, Obama and Biden have both begun pushing for the reinstatement of the assault rifle ban instituted during the Clinton years. To your last point about me using it as a pawn in my political strategy, I question what you mean by this? All me and Juan are doing is trying to help prevent further tragedy’s like this one and the tragedy’s that go on everyday in our inner cities.