Last week America saw a string of deadly shootings, mainly on university campuses, and one shooting in a shopping mall in Maryland. These shootings are not linked and the motives vary, but is this becoming a normal week in America? Is our nation getting to the point where we cannot feel safe in big crowds? Personally, I do not want to live like that. Further, I don’t want to see the day when I do not have a choice in the matter.
When tragedies like this occur in our nation, news outlets always point to two causes: gun control laws and mental health. I am not a fan of the present gun control laws, and yes, the regulations regarding who is allowed to own a gun must be changed. Guns are getting into the hands of the wrong people, which has been proven over and over again. A simple background check is not doing the job anymore; more has to be done.
Many of those against gun control reform will point to the old saying that “guns don’t kill people; people kill people”. However, if we could stop these “people” from gaining access to these weapons, another week of killings would be a rare occasion.
Our mental health system in America is not perfect by far, and people do tend to slip through the cracks. However, mental health has only a small stake in this issue. Insanity seems to be the go-to defense mechanism for all these cases, which makes it hard to tell the mentally ill apart from the plain demented.
Those actually suffering with mental health issues have the stigma of being violent criminals because their conditions are used as scapegoats. I am not discounting the fact that some offenders do fall to their mental health issues and commit these extreme acts of violence, but I do believe that society uses it as an excuse. When it is hard to stamp a motive on an event or even understand the given motive, many find it easier to just say “they are crazy” and move on.
As much as I hate to say this, when I heard about these incidents, I did not feel an overwhelming wave of grief. I felt bad for the victims and their families, but I was not as shocked as I should be. We have become desensitized to these incidents because they happen so often.
Purdue University even continued classes after the shooting that happened on their campus that killed a student. Something is wrong with the humanity of our country. While I don’t think laws are going to fix that, it is a good start.
Amber Patterson is a junior majoring in public relations. Her column runs weekly on Mondays.
