Over the past month, the news has been dominated by discussions surrounding gun control. Several senseless, violent and horrific tragedies have pushed this issue to the forefront of our minds.

The ensuing discussions have revealed that combating gun violence in our society is not a simple dichotomy between gun control and personal liberty. Rather, it is a multifaceted and complex issue ranging from firearm policies and the security of our educational institutions to mental health standards and depictions of guns in the media.

Obviously, this issue is not one that can be solved quickly, with rousing agreement from everyone involved. The close connection people on all sides of the issue have with it ensures that there will be intense, emotional disagreement at every step.

Nevertheless, the atrocities of Aurora, Sandy Hook, the New York firefighters and Kern County demand that we as a society take a critical look at the factors leading to these tragedies and assess how to move forward. To ignore them, or worse only pretend to care, is simply not an option at this point.

It is particularly important that students take part in these discussions. After all, it is our safety that is at stake. As history has tragically shown, universities have been prime locations for gun violence. As such, we have perhaps an even greater need to play a roll in this conversation.

Several columnists have already written about this complex issue from their own perspectives. Today, this page highlights two of these views. It is my hope that these columns, as well as others published by this page, will allow us as members of the UA community to further contribute to this conversation.

John Brinkerhoff is the opinion editor of The Crimson White.

Click the links below to read the two perspectives:

Arms control debate reveals that compromise is America’s biggest fear

Mass media fumbles coverage of violence in wake of shootings