Wait Until We Vote?
this is the first piece in a series that aims at redefining how we think of democracy in the United States and beyond
There are moments in my life when I cannot help but take pause, and feel the weight of the world oppressively pushing on my entire being. My body feels paralyzed; my thoughts, stagnant; my emotions, despairing. In a world full of troubles, and a society inundated by news, I sometimes think I have become numb to the horrors. However, upon hearing of the dual tragedies in El Paso, and Dayton, the depressive pause grips me, and refuses to yield.
Every month, sometimes on what seems like a weekly basis, there is some news about mass shootings of some sort. The Gun Violence Archive, who defines a mass shooting as involving four or more injuries, has recorded 253 so far this year. The politics behind gun violence in the U.S. is bitterly divided. Most recently, Democratic presidential contenders once again made their cases to a public who likely craves reform of some sort. Meanwhile, some lawmakers rehash the well-worn, and thoroughly rebuked argument pointing to video games as the reason for this violence. While there are those who staunchly defend their constitutional right to bear arms, with each subsequent shooting, I cannot help but imagine that many are feeling the need for change.
