Why Sacramento’s Mass Shooting Was A Wake Up Call
Photo of police sirens.
As the world begins to open back up and people begin to gather again, it’s only natural to feel optimistic. But this is America and our collective delusions won’t change reality. We’ve got a mass shooting problem, and as people resume their normal lives, the shootings will resume as well.
We’ve got a mass shooting problem, and as people resume their normal lives, the shootings will resume as well.
The pandemic has made many of us romanticize what life was like prior to Covid-19. We focused on the good things that everyday life had to offer, and in many ways, it made us reevaluate what was important to us. Some of us ended toxic relationships, quit jobs we hated, traveled the world and found out that offices were a waste of space. We started to realize how awesome it was to gather with friends at coffeeshops and bars or even how great it was to go grocery shopping without having to smell your own recycled breath. We were so focused on what was good in pre-pandemic life that we forgot how brutally unpredictable life in America could be, and events like the mass shooting in Sacramento are a reality check.
Mass shootings and similar tragedies always feel more personal when they happen in places you’ve been to and we’ve all been to Sacramento at one point or another.
Mass shootings and similar tragedies always feel more personal when they happen in places you’ve been to and we’ve all been to Sacramento at one point or another. Whether you like Sacramento or not, it’s a NorCal thing to spend a day in the Capitol for one reason or another. Many of have family or friends that live in the Sacramento area and if you’re like me, when you heard about the shooting, I had to call a few people close to me to make sure they were okay.
The worst part about this is that nothing will change as a result.
The worst part about this is that nothing will change as a result. Politicians will tweet, news agencies will report and people on social media will spam RIP posts for a few weeks and everyone except for the families effected will forget, and then another one will happen and cycle will begin again.
I’m not saying we should ban guns. As I’ve gotten older, I’ve come to appreciate the right to own a firearm. I can see how gun ownership can make people feel safe and prepared. But we have to do something to make mass shootings less likely. I know that we in America are often numb to gun violence. It is just part of life in this country. Especially if you live in one of America’s urban centers, but that doesn’t make it right.
In order to combat rising gun violence, we need to look at the type of mass shootings that happen in America. Mass shootings or shootings in general are usually related to gangs or mental health issues, and there are ways help mitigate these issues.
Gangs are usually formed in low income neighborhoods. If we provided access to adequate education and job opportunities, the likelihood that someone would want to join a gang decreases. Mental health problems are universal in scope. Anyone can suffer from mental health issues. We need to make access to care as easy, if not easier than accessing a gun.
This isn’t to say I’m not excited to be able to go to bars, concerts of movie theaters again, I am. But once again I’m reminded we live in America and anything can happen.
Rest in peace to the victims of the Sacramento shooting.
Sergio Harris
DeVazia Turner
Yamile Martinez-Andrade
Melinda Davis
Joshua Hoye-Lucchesi
Johntaya Alexander
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