(Author: Glenn Geher)
Immediately after I found out about the horrific shooting in Las Vegas earlier this year, I posted a statement on Facebook about it. I was absolutely horrified by what had happened. I have become sick and tired of this. Sandy Hook. Orlando. Texas. Las Vegas. Enough already! This is not the America that I know and love.
Here is that post in its entirety:
The gun lobby is largely to blame for Las Vegas. WE ALL KNOW THIS. By electing officials who will stand for sane gun control policies, such as the policies in the many nations where things like this do not happen, we can take steps to make our nation safer. This is not an option - after yesterday's unnecessary tragedy in Las Vegas, which will adversely affect thousands of families for generations, this is an obligation.
I was surprised to see how divisive this post was. Some people seemed genuinely offended by this post. I honestly don't get it. At all. And usually I am pretty good at seeing both sides of an issue.
As stated in this article in the Guardian, "No other developed nation comes close to the rate of gun violence in America. Americans own an estimated 265m guns, more than one gun for every adult."
Can an educated person truly read this, see the data presented in that article (spoiler: An extraordinary and disproportionately high number of people are killed by guns in the US each year), and not see a problem? I really truly genuinely do not understand.
More recently, there was an incident when a shot went off in a local mall, injuring a mother and son outside the American Eagle that my wife and son shopped at exactly one week prior. Enough! Already! Enough. We are the people of the United States of America and we can do better.
Of the many facets of this issue, I'd like to address the topic of politicization. When someone "from the left" raises gun control issues after a mass shooting, you can bet full well that someone "from the right" will say something along the lines of this:
* We should not politicize this issue.
* Polticizing this issue does nothing productive.
* It's not the right time to talk about gun control.
Respectfully, I fully and unequivocally disagree.
When our laws allow there to be more guns in this nation than there are adults, we have a problem.
When mass shootings take place in our nation on a near-daily basis, we have a problem.
When churches, concerts, and elementary schools are all potential targets of horrific murderous rampages - using legally purchased weapons, we have a problem.
In a democracy like ours, there is a clear way to fix a societal problem. We need to elect officials who prioritize the safety and welfare of the people.
In other words, we absolutely MUST POLITICIZE THE ISSUE OF GUN CONTROL. Keeping this issue on the political table when it comes to electing officials and when it comes to supporting laws and policies at all levels of government is not only appropriate - it is essential. It is, as I see it, a moral obligation. Refusing to "politicize gun control" is equivalent to turning a blind eye to a national crisis with fatal consequences. In a time of national crisis, each and every one of us is obligated to take steps to do our part to help toward the greater good. And make no mistake about it: We are in the midst of a national crisis.
Gun control in the United States is a problem, no matter how you slice it. Politicizing gun control is, thus, a moral imperative for the citizens of this country at this time.
If you're not outraged, then you're not paying attention.
#PoliticizeGunControlNow
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If ever there was a time to become politically active and rise up, that time is now. Here is to the uprising.
Join the uprising at www.moveforwardnewyork.org
Join the uprising at www.moveforwardnewyork.org
Note
that the views expressed herein are expressly the views of the author and are
not necessarily the views of Move Forward New York as a collective entity.
