It is hard to fathom the amount of school shootings that have occurred within the last decade. However, what is becoming easier and easier to wrap our heads around is the amount of politics that surround these events.
Recently in light of the events in Oregon, President Obama said that we should begin politicizing cases of gun violence, saying, “This is a political choice we make to allow this to happen every few months in America.”
Others try to use this as a case to make a statement on mental healthcare in America. Still others have said that these types of events should not be used as a political springboard. Often times the argument is framed through the lens that there is no place for politics where tragedy is involved.
It would be prudent and true to say that everyone on staff at The Xavierite feels incredibly sorry for those involved with and around the shooting rampage at Umpqua Community College and their families. We recognize also that those sentiments go a little way to a community and people that are going to need a lot of heeling.
However, the point still stands that we seem to go through the same circus every time an event like this occurs. Something has to change. There is never a bad time to politicize matters that are close to your heart. There is never a bad time to urge for change.
Do you think that mental healthcare has to change in our country? Speak up. Do you think that our gun laws are far too lax? Speak up. Do you disagree with either of these two points? Join the conversation.
Besides, these are naturally political issues. There is no way to not politicize these conversations. When these events occur seem to occur so often, it is impossible to separate them from their root causes and when the causes are so deep-rooted in American politics, it is near impossible not to turn these into political events.
I’m not advocating that the conversation become dominated by causes and politics. These were people who are now gone. They should be mourned properly and respectfully. But these are conversations that are going to have to happen one day if these events are to ever hopefully go away.
They might as well happen sooner rather than later. There is something to be said for striking while the iron is hot. And at the moment, there is no topic hotter or more potent than that of gun control.
Let’s at least have the serious conversation about gun control. Let’s at least make the effort to fix the problem before we let it happen again.
The Xavierite Editorial Board
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