Acts of violence have wracked the United States in more recent years, and these occurrences continue to heat up the controversy regarding gun control.
Recent occasions of these acts include the Nov. 4 shooting at LAX by the suspect Paul Ciancia, 23, in which one TSA agent was killed. Also, On Oct. 23, yet another school shooting occurred in Sparks, Nev., when 12-year-old Jose Reyes wounding two classmates and killing math teacher Mike Landsberry. The gunman then turned the gun on himself and took his own life. The name “gunman” doesn’t even seem fitting; perhaps “gun boy” would be more appropriate, considering he was still a child.
The age at which people are committing violent acts is continuing to decrease. The Guardian attributes youth violence to drugs and alcohol, as well as children lacking role-models. Narramore Christian Foundation (regarding psychology) claims that anger and alienation are to blame. No matter the cause, something obviously is broken in a society when 12-year-olds even think about committing such crimes.
America itself seems to have so many mass shootings that the term itself isn’t clearly defined. According to The Huffington Post, there have been at least 16 mass shootings in 2013, killing a total number of 78 people. Yet Mother Jones reports that the Navy Yard shooting in Washington, D.C., marked “the fifth mass shooting in the United States this year.”
The problem seems to be that distinct reporters are using completely different definitions for “mass shooting.” However, the most logical and simple definition of a mass shooting is a gun crime in which at least four people (aside from the shooter) are killed. This seems to be the definition that The Huffington Post is using. Furthermore, The Huffington Post stated that, “there have been over six mass shootings in the past nine months, and at least 20 during Obama’s presidency.”
The Reddit moderators have been using an expanded definition for mass shootings which suggests that every occurrence in which “four or more people [including the shooter] are shot in a spree.” The Reddit list for 2013 has reported nearly 250 incidents, which is almost one per day.
With so many mass shootings, no matter the definition, it is evident that something needs to be done. Even one mass shooting is one too many.
