On the morning of October 2, 2017, along with the rest of the United States, I woke up to the devastating news of the tragedy in Las Vegas. In the following days, it was all over the headlines. The death toll slowly rose, and the facts emerged. It was quickly labeled the deadliest mass shooting in modern United States history, replacing the 2016 Orlando Pulse shooting. But soon, the news was diverted to other events. This change of focus in an ever-changing world is expected, but the problem is in finding a resolution before our focus shifts. This is the cycle followed after every mass shooting: the shock, the inquiries, and then the fizzle. Where is the solution?
Time and time again, innocent lives are been lost. America mourns. But time and time again, we fail to address the issue. The United States loses an average of 30,000 lives to gun violence each year, but we have yet to see drastic changes in our gun laws. The victims are mothers, sons, grandmothers, brothers, and best friends. While each shooting is different, there is always one common factor: guns. The United States has the most guns per capita, and we average more than one mass shooting a day. But after each mass shooting, we skim over the tragedies with prayers and thoughts because it is easier than finding a solution. When will our thoughts turn to actions? How close to home does it have to get?
Although I do not have the single, perfect solution to the United States’ complicated gun problem, I think conversation is a good place to start. We need continue to acknowledging and talking about shootings, even after they fall from the headlines. We need to keep the victims and their families in our thoughts and prayers, but we also need to keep gun control in constant conversation in order to make necessary changes in our gun laws. We cannot wait for a new mass shooting to claim the title of deadliest shooting in modern US history before we address our gun control issue. The changes need to be made now.