Politicizing disasters that claim the lives of innocent people is a tragic thing, yet it has become something of a go-to response anytime there is a mass shooting in the United States. It’s something that both gun control activists and gun rights activists are guilty of, yet it must be said the gun rights crowd are always the ones reacting to the accusations of their opposition rather than the ones instantly trying to leverage a tragedy for political gain. Nevertheless, it’s a disservice to those who are affected by these shootings and one of the sadder realities of our current political climate.
When the shooter—name intentionally withheld to prevent making him famous—opened fire at a video game competition at The Landing in Jacksonville last Sunday, killing two young men and injuring eleven others, there was barely even enough time for the smoke to clear before activists on both sides were politicizing the shooting.
Alyssa Milano, who led an anti-gun rally outside the NRA’s annual convention in Dallas, published a Tweet that urged Florida voters to vote “for candidates that reject the NRA.” Meanwhile, Dana Loesch, the spokesperson for the NRA, was just as quick to take to social media, saying, “If you’re going to create gun free zones then have security present. Value and protect innocent life. This isn’t a controversial belief. The Landing has had security concerns for some time.”
Soon, countless other activists were piling on, either proclaiming the need for more gun control laws or decrying the senselessness of gun-free zones. In the end, though, the arguments made were the same ones that we’ve seen rolled out after every mass shooting in recent history.
There’s nothing wrong with seeing a tragedy and searching for solutions. While we would vehemently disagree with the effectiveness of the solutions put forth by the gun control crowd, there’s little doubt that most of them are sincere in their desire to prevent these disasters.
Meanwhile, questioning the logic of gun-free zones is something that certainly should be done seeing as most every mass shooting over the past few decades has taken place at a gun-free zone. This simply cannot be coincidence, and it should be obvious by now that gun-free zones are a magnet to shooters rather than a deterrent. When Dana Loesch brings up this point, she is certainly every bit as sincere about protecting lives as her opponents who are calling for increased gun control.
The problem is that the sincerity of these proposed solutions takes a hit when tragic mass shootings are demoted to nothing more than a flashpoint for yet another nationwide political debate. Anytime there is a mass shooting in the United States, gun control activists are quick to pounce on the opportunity, using the pain and sadness that Americans are feeling as emotional leverage to push for policies that are not able to stand on logic alone.
In the face of a reenergized opposition that receives round the clock media attention, gun rights activists are forced to respond as well. While such a response is understandable and perhaps entirely necessary, it only goes to further create a downhill spiral where mass shootings are turned into political events rather than heartbreaking tragedies.
Aside from coming up with a solution that will actually stop these shootings, there is little that can be done to prevent them from instantly being politicized. The fervor over the Jacksonville shooting will likely calm down soon enough seeing as the death count was low and the story doesn’t completely fit the gun control narrative.
However, the next time there is a mass shooting in the United States, you can guarantee that it will kickstart the same, tired old arguments from the gun control crowd once again, which will in-turn necessitate a response from Second Amendment supporters and the debate will be on.
Before we get too caught up in these arguments, though, let’s remember that there are real people whose lives have been ended or forever altered by this shooting and all of the shootings that came before it. Major tragedies such as this should be a time when Americans come together and lean on each other for support.
In the case of mass shootings, though, the aftermath becomes a time where the nation is torn apart into two sides. There may not be a simple solution to prevent this from happening, and there might not even be one side that is 100% to blame, but it is a sad reality nonetheless.
~ National Gun Network
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I do not want to live is a communist country and if you do then go to one do not try to screw up the greatest country in the world with your leftist BS just leave and take all your leftist ideas and buddies with you. Good ridence to bad rubbish
I agree with you. I have wondered for years why liberals are so, against firearms, the last president (Obama) opened my eyes, and I can clearly undestand now, I could clearly see that the Democratic party is leaning towards communism, and what does a communist ruled country do first, disarm the citizens so that there is no viable resistance to resist a take over (like the Nazi and alot of other regimes that un-arm their citizens first). So always keep your arms and back up the Constitution and the 2nd Amendment, or we will be overtaken by a communist party (from with-in like in Obamas case) or the equivalent. The principle reason no other country has never tried to attack the United States, is because virtually every citizen is armed, and everyone knows it.
Point of Order… the Left “Politicizes”; the Right “Protects”. You stand corrected.
It is obvious that armed security is needed in gun-free zones. This is the reason, that even after requiring air travelers to take off shoes and have bags x-rayed and many pat downs for weapons, they still have armed air marshals on many flights, trains and buses in our country and internationally. Even in countries that have laws against every citizen owning a firearm, where cops do not carry guns, there are armed plainclothes marshals doing the duty.
Those “armed plainclothes marshals” are the execution squads… people just disappear…
England banned guns. knives and one mayor over there is trying to ban cars now. Lunacy is starting to prevail.The way it’s going rocks and sticks are next.
The reason is, is because the Mayor is a Muslim, and I’m not trying to sound like a racist, but it is a known fact that radical Muslims try to convert Christians to the Muslim faith, and then if they’re not successful, they decapitate the Christian, and who knows whether this London Mayor is a radical or not, I’m sorry, but I’m not taking any chances.
These gun control advocates fail to see the stupidity and fruitlessness of more laws or restrictions. Crazy people and criminals use guns, but they will also use knives, axes, discarded tools or a section of metal pipe. They will use whatever they can get and if it is not the most convenient or effective they will make do.
So what will they do if some disgruntled worker kills a few of his fellow workers or a couple of managers with a crowbar or chokes one with a scarf? Will they pass regulations or bans on those items? They’ll argue that those are not intended as weapons, but many firearms are purchased and used, but they never draw blood. Many only get taken to the range to shoot paper targets.
The solution should be aimed at the cause – the root of the problem, not at guns or the NRA who had nothing to do with it. The idea that the NRA is promoting death is a bunch of crap. Ignorance is often more dangerous than familiarity, training, knowledge, experience and skill.
Your right, I am a lifetime member of the NRA and I legally a carry a concealed weapon (I have a concealed carry permit), and I have carried a weapon since the beginning of year 2000, and my gun has never killed anyone, I’ve never even brandished it, because it’s against the law to even draw your weapon, unless your protecting yourself or someone else, so it’s not the gun that is dangerous it’s the person carrying the gun, not the weapon itself.
More good guys and gals with Guns would stop a lot of this crap. 1 shot to wake everyone up 2nd shot will give the exact location. bad guy full of holes. And that’s a worst case situation. Any good guy/gal with a gun near the shooter should be able to prevent the 2nd shot.
Gun free zones need to be eliminated. All a gun free zone dose is give criminals a warm feeling of security knowing that the chance of being challenged by armed force is almost nil. So the next time a shooting takes place in one of these “gun free safe zones” jusy remember to thank a liberal.
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