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We Must Take These Shootings to Heart and Seize Control
by Jenna Mitchell
Updated: November 6, 2023
Originally Published: October 1, 2023
Dear America,
How do you carry on with your daily life when it feels like the world is engulfed in flames with every bullet that targets our most vulnerable? I find myself unable to move forward. I wish I had your resilience or perhaps your selective ignorance, but I simply lack the strength to ignore it any longer.
Every time a deranged individual points a firearm at the body of a black man, a police officer, a concert attendee, a student in class, or a family at church, I envision who they are seeing through their weapon’s sights. I picture my neighbor joyfully playing “Tag” with his young daughter in the park. I see my partner, groggy but cheerful, getting ready for another day at work. I imagine my teenage son meticulously choosing his outfit and styling his hair for an evening out with friends.
Then I see them getting into their vehicles, fastening their seatbelts and blissfully unaware that, at that same moment, a man with a gun is assembling his weapon, consumed by fear, hatred, and misplaced blame. In his twisted reasoning, my neighbor, my partner, my child somehow become scapegoats for his distress. To him, this isn’t personal; it’s a war.
The gun becomes his instrument for indiscriminately erasing his so-called enemies. With a barrage of bullets, innocent lives are obliterated. A little girl’s world crumbles when she witnesses her father’s blood pooling around him. A spouse’s heart shatters upon receiving the dreadful news that their beloved partner lies lifeless. A mother’s heart breaks when she learns of children gunned down at a concert, nightclub, or during Sunday service.
We, the people, respond to these tragedies with nothing more than thoughts and prayers, engaging in online debates about gun control for a fleeting moment before reverting back to our lives. But for many, it’s just another day in America.
Please, I implore you: Start taking these shootings personally. With every bullet that pierces the body of a black man, a police officer, or a child dancing with joy, the risk of your own life being shattered increases.
Does that concern you enough to act? Then, America, it’s time to take action. Your thoughts and prayers are no longer sufficient. The social media arguments have become redundant.
Stop your daily routine, even if just for a few minutes. Take a brief pause from your work or errands and do something to protect your neighbor, partner, or child from the faceless hatred wielded by a man with a gun.
- Make a call. Reach out to your elected officials and share your concerns about the urgent need for sensible gun control measures, such as comprehensive background checks and restrictions on firearm sales to individuals on terror watch lists.
- Send an email. Instead of arguing on social media, direct your thoughts to your representative. Just a few sentences can make a difference; your voice deserves to be heard by someone who can effect change.
- Follow the money and vote. When election time arrives, consider whether your chosen candidate will resist the gun lobby and work to limit access to weapons that can wreak havoc. Look into where gun rights funding is allocated; it’s crucial to be informed. For deeper insights, check out this article.
Please, take one of these steps, then get back to your life. Because all of our lives depend on your courage.
This article was originally published on October 1, 2023.