Gun violence is continuing to soar throughout the United States, with mass shootings taking innocent lives and dominating news headlines day after day
ticker’s Brittany Coles was joined by senior fellow at the U.S. Studies Centre, Bruce Wolpe and journalist and commentator, Misha Zelinsky.
On May 14, 2022 in Buffalo, New York, 10 people were killed when a white supremacist stormed a supermarket.
Just days later, 19 children and two teachers lost their lives after a gunman armed with a semi-automatic weapon opened fire at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas.
On the day Americans are supposed to celebrate their freedom and independence, seven people were shot dead by a 21-year-old man.
And this is just to name a few.
Rallies for gun reform have been held right around the country, with protestors in Washington, New York and other major cities calling on lawmakers to act.
But with gun violence only increasing and gun sales only going up and up, are the cries of millions falling on deaf ears?
Activities once considered normal are now plagued by fear thanks to the gun culture, the panelists speak on the gun epidemic across America.
How many more policy makers, celebrities, local authorities have to take to the stand to call for tighter gun restrictions to help (as Kamala Harris phrased it) “end this horror”?
March for our Lives was formed back in 2018 after a shooting in Parkland, Florida.
The activist group helped force Republicans in Florida to enact reforms including raising the age to buy long guns and enact a three-day gap between purchase and access.
Does this prove that activism does work?
Just a few weeks ago, March for our Lives happened on the very street of the Highland Park shooting.
A stark reminder a mass shooting can occur anywhere.
“And we got to take this stuff seriously, as seriously as you are – because you have been forced to have to take it seriously,” VP Kamala Harris told Highland Park residents.
“The whole nation should understand and have a level of empathy to understand that this can happen anywhere, in any peace-loving community,” Harris continued. “And we should stand together and speak out about why it’s got to stop.”
Harris also told Americans “we have to be smarter as a country”
There’s been over 300 mass shooting so far, From Uvalde to Chicago this year.
Biden signed the first significant federal bill on gun safety in decades, but that was just days after the Supreme Court ruled that Americans have a fundamental right to carry a handgun in public… so what does “be smarter” mean now?
Viewed over 2 million times this is the viral moment from Philadelphia on the night of the Fourth of July of people running away from an active shooter while fireworks celebrate the country are going off in the background.. with the tweet captioned ‘america is a horror story’
National anthem playing, screams from Americans in the birthplace of their nation, it seems like the active shooter is the new symbol of the fourth of July.
The NRA are a powerful lobby group – there’s a long way to come when it comes to efficient gun reform to combat violence and crime in the states.
One thing is clear – activities once considered normal and care-free are now plagued by fear, propaganda-driven acceptance of gun ownership.
