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Mass Shootings Happen Because We Tolerate Them
Our culture is the problem
With each incidence of mass shootings, we inch closer to the point where our country breaks beyond our ability to repair. After Sandy Hook, we did nothing. After Parkland, we did nothing. And now, in the wake of shootings in Buffalo and Texas, we will again do nothing.
Yes, we’ve barrage Tweeted about our anger and grievance, sent thoughts and prayers, and spouted meaningless platitudes about the need for addressing mental health problems. In time, we may even propose legislation to reauthorize the assault weapons ban, limit magazine capacity, raise the age of gun ownership to 21, or make it harder for dangerous individuals to acquire weapons.
Let’s face it. Nothing will change. You know it, don’t you? Nothing will change because too many of us have accepted mass shootings as the price to pay for unfettered access to guns. It may not be a majority of us, but it’s enough to create gridlock whenever sensible gun legislation hits the floor of Congress.
Gun violence exists because we have decided, as a society, to tolerate it. Gun violence exists because we have collectively accepted that unfettered access to guns matters more than the lives of our children. It exists because we elect people who care more about preserving the filibuster than they do…
