A little over 50 days into 2017 over 2,000 Americans have been killed in a shooting. 29 of them were officers. 86 were children.
Gun violence and the right to bear arms is often times a topic that many prefer to avoid discussing. It sparks controversy, and rocks the boat, one of the “unmentionable” topics that falls alongside religion, economic status, and political views. However, in my opinion, gun violence is not just a point of conversation, but an imperative national discussion that we must have if we wish to prevent the recurrence of tragedies like Sandy Hook, Columbine, or the Orlando nightclub shooting. While the political geography of gun violence varies across the United States, no state has been left untouched by gun-related tragedy. It is an issue of both national and local importance- to the areas that have already been shaken by heartbreaking episodes, and for those who fearfully wait to see how long their community can remain unscathed.
“…gun violence is not just a point of conversation, but an imperative national discussion that we must have…”
Growing up in Denver, Colorado, I know all too well what unnecessary gun violence looks like. I have seen people’s sense of security stolen from them as they try to carry out colloquial tasks like going to the movies with their family. I know what it is like to not know if your friends will ever come home from high school. Public policy surrounding guns is in need of drastic alteration if we as a society wish to prevent these horrific events from happening. It is a dialogue that is painful to talk about, but undeniably worth having.
For more information on the source of these statistics, and recent updates for 2017 gun archives, click the following link.
The Tar Heel State of Affairs 
I completely agree with you, in that gun safety needs to be discussed more. For gun violence to be happening so often, the citizens of the United States to become more informed in how they can prevent it or how they would go about handling a situation if ever put into one. Last semester I wrote a paper arguing the need for stricter laws on firearms, so I strongly relate with everything that you are writing.
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I like how you mention that gun violence is frequently pushed aside due to the fact that people of different religions, economic statuses, and political views often conflict with ideas. I also think that these differences AREN’T excuses for lack of discussion – just like what you said. This is a great way to kind of bring these issues into the spot-light in a way that makes all of the differences people have not worthy as excuses to pushing this discussion to the side any longer.
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Thank you so much for your feedback! I agree, it is often a marginalized topic that is put on the back burner because to discuss it among so many different types of people with different viewpoints is no easy task. However, as the prevalence of gun violence continues to increase it is becoming ever more important that like you said, we don’t use this as an excuse to come up with a solution to the problem.
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