Guns, Pills, & Marketing

Gun violence parallels the opioid epidemic as high levels of abuse are rooted in an embedded gun culture and pharmaceutical culture

Following every mass shooting, the debate over gun control dominates the news cycle. Mainstream political discourse will reproduce almost an identical copy of political theater after every new mass shooting.

During the ensuing few days, liberals and conservatives regurgitate the same language regarding their stance on gun control. Immediately, conservatives will call for thoughts and prayers and depending on the race of the shooter will either cite mental illness or terrorism as an explanation for the violence. In contrast, liberals will quickly associate almost every mass shooting during the Trump era as a direct result of Trump’s policies and rhetoric.

Despite the heightened attention following a mass shooting, the gun control debate within the mainstream media news cycle quickly dissipates. Due to the increasingly polarized political environment in the United States, either zero measures of gun reform will be passed or any legislation garnering bipartisan support will simply be political window dressing designed to pacify the American public.

Attempting to make a significant impact curtailing gun violence in the United States, requires far more effort than just making it slightly more…