“Windows? None leading outside but many connecting to the hallway. This limits hiding places and means of escapes. Doors: just one. Seventeen students could probably pretty easily move the desk, tables and laptop cart to barricade the door.”
These were the thoughts that went through my mind as I sat in the graphic design room on the first day of class of last semester. While those circumstances were specific to that one room, evaluating how I would respond in case of an intruder emergency is something I naturally do in all of my Cabrini classes and essentially every public place I visit.
I do not remember when I started doing this, but I know that it comes naturally now.
The sad part is that I am not alone in my fears. Many of my peers on the Loquitur editorial board worry about and prepare for the same things.
Our parents have conditioned us to be aware of our surroundings and not to brush off strange sounds and individuals that make us uncomfortable. Being on high alert is normal now.
Mass shootings are normal now.
On Sunday, the first of October, a shooter stationed himself on the high floor of a Las Vegas hotel and rapidly fired at a huge outdoor concert festival, resulting in at least 59 deaths and hundreds of injured civilians. This has become the deadliest mass shooting in the United States.
This is the 131st mass shooting since 1966 that was carried out by a lone gunman.
According to “Mass Murder in the United States: A History,” these mass shootings— or shootings with four or more victims— have resulted in nearly 1000 deaths.
While the Las Vegas attack was the most horrific, it was not the only shooting this week. It was not even the only shooting that day. At the The University of Kansas, three were killed and two were left injured.
Mass shootings occur nearly every day in the United States. CBS revealed that Sunday was only the 274th day of the year but 273rd mass shooting in the U.S. in 2017.
Guns do not kill people. People kill people; however, guns certainly expedite the process.
What can we do to prevent the next mass shooting?
First, we need to stop accepting these acts of violence as normal. We cannot become desensitized to terrorism. Gun violence is an American issue. Nearly one-third of the world’s mass shootings have occurred in the United States, as reported by Time. This incident in Las Vegas once again reveals America’s extreme rate of gun violence is unparalleled by any other nation.
The U.S. ranks number one in the world in terms of firearms per capita, with 88.8 guns per 100 people, News Week reported. While Americans only make up just over four percent of the global population, Americans comprise 42 percent of civilian-owned guns.
Second, we cannot keep contextualizing these acts of terror subjectively. The shooting in Vegas has not yet been qualified as a terroristic attack.
Trump addressed this incident as an “act of pure evil.” His response has caused us to wonder how he would have responded if the shooter was not an old, Caucasian male.
If this horrific crime had been done at the hands of a muslim— or even any brown-skinned individual with an uncommon name— the president would have jumped to call this an act of terrorism. He would have likely responded to the incident, saying foreigners were to blame and perpetuating xenophobia.
But because the culprit was an white man, this is labeled a lone act of evil from an ill or deranged man.
Statista reported that in more than 50 percent of United States mass shootings, the perpetrator is Caucasian. The next highest race that commits mass shootings are African Americans, which only contribute 15 percent of mass shootings.
We must stop assuming that America’s gun violence problem is a result of foreign persecution and recognize that the problem lies within America.
Third, we need to modify current gun control laws.
Most mass killings in the United States are carried out with guns. These guns are usually obtained by legal means.
It has not yet been determined how the 23 guns used by the Vegas shooter were obtained, but the Washington Post reported that of the guns used in mass shootings, 55 percent were obtained by legal means. Only 15 percent were obtained illegally and the means of accessing the other 30 percent is unknown.
Federal law prohibits those with a history of mental illness, drug addiction or crime. Additionally, illegal immigrants, veterans who left the military with a dishonorable discharge and anyone with a permanent restraining order are also unable to buy a gun, according to the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
The flaw in this system is that small-scale sellers, such as those that do business at gun shows, are not required to do background checks. Moreover, there is an incomplete listings of criminal cases.
While people of good will can disagree about aspects of the 2nd Amendment, with some wanting more restrictions and some less, many feel that there is not a practical justification for fully automatic weapons. According to Gallup, the majority of the country— 55 percent— agrees that there should be stricter gun control laws.
The Atlantic reported that stress, population, immigration and mental illness did not correlate to more gun deaths. “The Geography of Gun Deaths” revealed states with tighter gun control laws have fewer gun-related deaths.
Finally, the country should also address gun violence at the source and support toleration and conflict resolution at a school level.
Many mass shooters— such as James Huberty, who killed 21 people in the San Ysidro McDonald’s massacre of 1984, and Esteban Santiago, the Iraq war veteran who shot and killed five people at an airport earlier this year— sought mental health treatment prior to their attack.
Addressing mental illness and ensuring everyone has access to the professional help could have prevented many deaths.
We cannot stop hate but maybe if we teach the youth about acceptance one another, crack down on bullying and prioritize mental health, we can raise a generation that accepts one another.
