On October 1st, 2017, America suffered the most deadly mass shooting in United States history. In Las Vegas, 64-year-old Stephen Paddock, who lived in the local area, injured 546 and killed 58 concertgoers by firing a number of automatic weapons out of the window of the 32nd floor hotel room he was stationed in across the street. Traditionally, the stance taken by politicians in regards to gun control matters in the United States following massacres of this nature tends to be universally retrogressive. Their philosophy is that in the mists of tragedy, the suffering of others should not be turned into a political debate. However, if the best time to talk about gun control is not when gun control has hit its weakest point, then when is the best time?
The gunman involved in the Las Vegas shooting was found with 23 firearms in his hotel room, and even more were found in his home. Each of these firearms were purchased legally within the United States, along with the thousands of rounds of ammunition found in his vehicle. This behavior and the allowance of it is particularly alarming, and the surge of mass shootings in the United States within recent years is even more so. Just this year alone, there have been 13 notable mass shootings within the United States, and in 2016, there were 14 notable mass shootings.
This behavior creates an environment in which smaller scale shootings are made somewhat irrelevant when reporting on gun violence. On October 18th, 5 people were shot in a Maryland office park, and the news hardly made headlines. There is clearly a major issue regarding gun violence within the United States, and although it is heavily debatable what changes need to be made, it should be evident by now that the current means of dealing with this crisis is not working. If there is a perfect time to talk about gun control legislation, it is now, before the next crisis occurs.
If you would like to donate to the families and victims of the Las Vegas shooting, donations can be made to the verified GoFundMe page titled ‘Las Vegas Victims’ Fund’.
