Gun violence in the U.S. is something that boggles the minds of people looking in from the outside. The rate of deaths from gun violence seems to be on the rise, and though it may dip a little one year, the general trend only goes up. Despite being inundated with news reporting on yet another mass shooting, nothing seems to change, and based on the statistics that crime author Stephen King gives us, we wonder if it ever will.
The most recent mass shooting in Nashville, Tennessee has once again sparked the seemingly fruitless gun debate after six were killed, three of whom were children. This is the 19th shooting at a school or university in 2023, with 134 mass shootings in total since January 1 — that’s more mass shootings than days in the year so far. These numbers paint the picture that the country will overtake last year’s deaths caused by a gun, which as King tweeted was already horrifically high.
Despite the majority of Americans being open to gun reform, and creating laws that would make it stricter to buy and own guns, especially assault rifles, these laws have been exceptionally hard to pass thanks to gun lobbyists like the NRA and those citing the “Second Amendment.” Despite the president himself calling for gun reform when it comes to assault rifles, stating “It’s about time we began to make some more progress,” it is unlikely that this will incite any change on the matter.
These changes are typically blocked by Republicans in Congress who see the attempt to enforce stricter laws on weapons that can kill hundreds in mere minutes as an attack on the Constitution and the American people. King previously reminded people how much Tennessee Senator Marsha Blackburn has made from the NRA while she offered her “condolences” to families following the Nashville tragedy. Meanwhile, hundreds of Americans die every day from gun violence, and even from accidents involving guns where guns are not handled correctly or not stored away correctly.
The U.S. is already on track to overtake last year’s already horrifically bleak numbers as there have already been 9,870 deaths attributed to gun violence so far, only 3 months into the year, according to Gun Violence Archive. There have been 398 children and teens killed so far, yet despite this number, lawmakers still shift the focus from stricter gun control to other ways of making schools safer with such ridiculous notions as arming teachers floated around in the past.
We would like to think that one day enough will be enough but despite the sorrow and condolences and “thoughts and prayers” that come after these disturbing and most definitely avoidable tragedies, it never seems to be enough to promote real, lasting change.
