Armstrong letter: Mass Shootings

Ten years ago, merely uttering the word “Columbine” was enough to command the attention of an entire room. Shootings don’t command that kind of attention anymore, primarily because of the sheer amount that occur. Could we even name every mass shooting covered by the media this year alone?

I recently referenced the Isla Vista shooting when talking with a friend. She responded, “wait, which one was that again?” There are so many shootings to keep track of that the details begin to blend together until each individual shooting is nearly unidentifiable. How are we as a nation supposed to process shootings when it seems like there’s a new one every time we turn on the TV?

The Sandy Hook massacre was a turning point in the gun control debate. Is this when we decided that we can bear a classroom full of first graders going to school and never coming back? We have to ask ourselves, is this the kind of country we want to live in?

Connecticut Sen. Chris Murphy sums up the need to act now, saying, “your ‘thoughts should be about steps to take to stop this carnage. Your ‘prayers’ should be for forgiveness if you do nothing.”

This story was originally published January 7, 2016 at 8:22 PM with the headline "Armstrong letter: Mass Shootings."