Fourteen were killed and 21 were injured in San Bernardino, California as another deadly shooting shook the United States.
Around 11 a.m. on Dec. 3 two shooters opened fire at the Inland Regional Center, a center for individuals with developmental disabilities. It is speculated that some degree of planning had gone into this attack, although motives are still unclear.
In an article on CNN.com, Barack Obama stated that, “the pattern of U.S. mass shootings ‘has no parallel anywhere else in the world.’”
In general, the United States is peaceful. We don’t know what it’s like to have wars waged on our own soil. But ever since 9/11, no place on Earth can be accurately labeled as safe.
Millenials have witnessed so many of these tragedies throughout our short lifetimes. Another tragic element to mass shootings is that they aren’t surprising anymore.
The DePauw wishes to express its deepest condolences to the victims of the San Bernardino shootings, but we must acknowledge our expressions only mean so much. Our world is rife with the potential for violence, and no matter where you live or where you are, the violence could rear its ugly head to any of us on any day. Our sorrow does not get rid of the problem.
The frequency with which deadly shootings occur in the U.S. is unparalleled and as a result creates a sort of desensitization throughout the country. While the deaths do not become less tragic, the same reactions are often seen throughout the country. Users on Twitter and Instagram post their condolences and politicians push for gun control reform. Ultimately, the dialogue withers away until the next tragedy occurs.
We at The DePauw believe this issue is greater than any political debate surrounding it. Regardless of where one leans in the political spectrum, most everyone should acknowledge the fact that we have a supremely important problem on our hands: bloodthirsty rogues are killing the innocent without a second thought.
Tragedy is so difficult because the damage is done and it cannot be undone. All we can do at this time is mourn for the deceased and their families.