The aftermath of last week’s San Bernardino shooting was similar to those of most other mass shootings in the country — a devastated community, coverage of minutiae regarding the shooters and incredible outrage on social media.
Our country has experienced a vast number of shootings. The exact numbers are disputed, but the Washington Post says 2015 has so far seen more mass shootings in the United States than days in the year.
Some people argue we need to increase gun control. After all, they say, there are no reasons why assault rifles need to be accessible to everyday people. People who have history of violence and mental health problems should have thorough background checks.
On the other side, people argue that increased gun control will only punish law-abiding citizens by weakening a constitutional right. Many of them also support the commendable mental health bills Republicans want to push through Congress.
My concern is that this debate isn’t happening in any legitimate form. Many people I know show their frustration and anger on Facebook. What we need to do instead is force local and state politicians to answer for what’s being done to solve this problem.
We need to challenge their views when we think they’re contestable, and we need to show support not through the number of statuses we can post on Facebook but through
our votes in the next elections.
This might make me an idealist, but I think a politician’s job is to listen to his or her constituency. If we don’t voice what we want, it’s our fault, not anyone’s in Congress.
