President Barack Obama recently addressed the shooting in Oregon by issuing his official statement. Obama is tired. His gray hair, protruding veins and sad eyes portray a man who has tried extremely hard to make his country a better place, only to face hundreds of obstacles, put-downs and many mass shootings during his time as president. While he exudes empathy, he is terse. He is done with being told there is nothing he can do to help a world in which his own daughters are still growing up. You can view the video here:
Obama isn’t the only one who is tired. Communities and families with students attending colleges, high schools and even elementary schools live in constant fear of another unforeseen disaster. I would love to say that this issue has the potential to be easily resolved. Unfortunately, the multi-faceted conundrum of mass shootings goes far beyond the weapons a person has access to and how a person is raised. It goes deeper than that, into the inner workings of our country and where we place value as a society.
Middle ground is pretty hard to find in today’s world. Ultra-conservative, ultra-liberal, pro-life, pro-choice, etc. have created large divides in opinion, with very few people having the objectivity to see useful points from each side. For some reason, we as a culture believe that if we are not 100 percent secure and passionate about every aspect of our thoughts on an issue, our point will not be heard. We push aside facts, analysis and objective reasoning, trading them in for aggression, power and personal endorsement through strong language.
I believe there are many options for solving our issues as a country involving guns and violence, but I would like to explore some solutions from a perspective that takes both sides into account. For example, I believe every American has the right to own a gun — if you have any questions, see the Second Amendment. A few solid options remain, however, for making the ownership of these guns less of a risk.
With all of the new technology associated with smart devices, why not add a finger print censor on the trigger of a registered, legally-purchased firearm? That way, only the person who bought the device is able to fire it. This action could potentially eradicate gun theft and/or a large portion of suicides by guns. We could develop an entire new job market by appointing psychologists to do research that more pointedly focuses on what characteristics of mental illnesses need to be tracked in order to prevent these tragedies, and require mandatory psychological and emotional screenings by these trained specialists before the purchasing of a firearm.
On the opposite side of the spectrum is the idea of gun control. The fact that every American has the option to own a gun does not necessarily imply that every American should own a gun. Anti-gun “activists” are not in the business of telling people what they can and cannot have, which is instead dictated by the Constitution — rather, they aim to keep guns out of the hands of people who are uneducated on gun laws and safety.
In today’s society, it has unfortunately become the norm for young people to feel pitted against one another, unable to discuss their feelings for fear of seeming weak. The school system constantly promotes inner-competition, as well as competition with those around you. If a student grows up not realizing the value in talking through problems and bouncing ideas off of one another, how will they be able to communicate? What will stop them from bottling their emotions instead of turning to classmates or a creative outlet to figure out how they can truly branch out? We are cutting music and art programs, we are shortening recess periods, we are testing children monthly starting in kindergarten.
Not every person who turns to violence is neglected. Not every person has a diagnosed mental disability, and many of them are terrific students who excel in academia. But perhaps if we, as a nation, could focus on implementing more nurturing environments in schools and homes from a younger age, letting kids know the importance of creativity, communication and safety, we can eliminate the stigma of the repressed gunman.
This isn’t an issue for one side or the other. Liberals should want stricter gun laws in order to reduce risk that is already increased by gun circulation, but conservatives should want their hard work to be acknowledged. Those who properly utilize guns and follow the law should want to be represented as such, rather than seen as adding to the issue of mass violence in America. As Obama stated, he can’t do this alone. When we see the problem as routine, we desensitize ourselves not only to the issue itself, but to its countless solutions.