It doesn’t matter if you’re pro-gun or anti-gun. Why you need them or why you don’t. There’s one thing we all need to agree on: innocent lives continue to be lost because guns keep falling into the wrong hands.
We are only in the second month of the year, and so far, the Gun Violence Archive has claimed there have been over 50 mass shootings, which are defined as in which four or more victims are shot or killed. In the past two months, more than 80 deaths have occurred due to mass shootings.
Gun Violence Archive has also listed that more than 600 children (age 0-17) have been shot or killed by guns.
On February 14, a day that was supposed to be filled with celebration, ended in a horrific shooting that took place at Union Station in Kansas City, Missouri.
The shooter in Kansas City, opened fire following a parade and rally for the Kansas City Chiefs Super Bowl win. As of now, the shooting has left one person dead and more than twenty wounded, half younger than sixteen.
Super Bowl MVP, Patrick Mahomes, visited the young victims who were wounded while celebrating their hometown team. The woman who came to cheer for her favorite team, now leaves behind her children as she was killed.
The National Football League (NFL), has launched ‘KC Strong‘, an emergency response fund supporting the victims and their families, violence prevention, and mental health services.
A sense of safety has been punctured by almost everywhere due to gun violence. The Super Bowl is supposed to be a unifying moment for our country, not a shooting.
The current U.S. president, Joe Biden, renewed gun control pleas after seeing the tragedy that took place at Union Station. Biden renewed his calls for Congress to pass gun violence protection legislation.
The president calls for a stronger background check and laws to keep guns out of the wrong hands.
February 14 was not just the date of one mass shooting. It was also the date of the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School shooting that took place in Parkland, Florida, six years ago. The high school shooting that took place in 2018, is the deadliest mass shooting that has taken place on a school campus in history.
The bipartisan gun safety bill passed in 2022, was supposed to include money for school safety, mental health, backgrounds checks, but has failed to stop anyone from gun possession. Gun Violence Archive concluded 2023 with more than 600 mass shootings. There were more shootings than days.
Innocent lives continue to be lost due to the weak safety bills that are in place. It’s time to stand up and push for safety.
