This weekend marked one of America's most shameful mileposts. 400 MASS SHOOTINGS THIS YEAR! That's roughly 2 a day. And let's not forget that a mass shooting is over 4 people: not including the gunman. So how many have there been with less victims?
And people wonder why I can't live in the US anymore. I refuse to live in a country where guns have more rights than children.
I've been thinking a lot about this the past few days. I'm just sick of people saying "thoughts and prayers" and other fake platitudes. I have nothing against religion and those who want to worship. The thing is that's the most popular go to, even among those who aren't religious. Something bad happens and you recite these empty platitudes like a line from a script because it's what you're expected to do and then you go about your life. And these same people are the ones who say "There's no solution" or "What do you expect me to do?" I get feeling hopeless about the world, I really do. However, the situation isn't hopeless. You can write your congressman/senator, you can create and sign petitions, you can speak out on the topic, you can attend rallies, etc. The thing is, people have become numb to violence. You see it on TV, read about it and watch videos on your phone, read about it in the newspaper and so on; humanity has become desensitized and that's the reason things like gun violence and rape has been allowed to continue. We need to resensitize (is that a word?) ourselves to the pain and suffering of those around us. It's gonna be uncomfortable and hurt like hell, but change doesn't happen when you stay inside of your comfort zone. The thing is, how many people are willing to leave their comfort zone and actively participate in change? After all, it's easier to retweet posts on Twitter and comment "Thoughts and prayers" under a post on Instagram than it is to do the things I mentioned above.