Abstract
Mass shootings are becoming increasingly synonymous with the American population. Every once in a while, one can always expect to find news of a young teen who got hold of a rifle and sprayed bullets to usually crowded areas filled with unsuspecting civilians. According to Frances (2014), the frequency is only expected to increase in the coming years due to the increase in the rate of the copycat killers created by the seductive opportunity to momentously gain the spotlight. The anger and the anguish that usually accompanies the death of the victims is normally accompanied by questions that beg to understand the primary motivation behind the shootings. Additionally, administration after another will always grapple with the answer to ending the mass shootings and earning the approval of the electorate.
Keywords: mass murders, massacres, acts of terrorism, white supremacists, acts of terror
Introduction
Problem with a Hook.
Mass shootings have escalated among different US populations over the last few years. The incidences remain the most terrible and unique metrics that distinguish America from the rest of the developed nations. According to Silverstein (2019), the year 2019 alone has experienced more mass shootings in the entire history of mass massacres in the US. The statistics put the year 2019 on the pace of becoming the first year since 2016, having an average of more than one shooting in a day.
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Thesis Statement.
In spite of countless pledges by multiple US administrations to conclusively deal with the issue of mass shootings, the matter remains at large and seems to get the better of the US populace, claiming thousands of lives every year leaving trails of innocent casualties and it does not seem to have any practical solution despite advancement in forensic technologies, and the tightening of policies and legislations of gun control.
Body Part I: Define the Problem (extent of problem and causes)
Mass shootings involve incidences in which civilians get hold of guns and exterminate sections of the population either in mad fury or in a feat of anger reacting to mental, psychological or emotional triggers. Some of the most gruesome attacks in American history include attacks in Florida, Las Vegas, Orlando, and Sandy Hook in 2018, 2017 and 2016 respectively. Media coverage, as well as sentiments from politicians and other influential figures, have done little to appease the emotions of social media audiences and even less to help victims of mass shootings get the required justice.
The majority of the population is opposed to the level of media coverage that school shooters receive in the press. Some media outlets feel the guilt of contributing to the menace of a mass shooting and hence avoid mentioning the names or showing the faces of the mass shooters (Wolf, 2019). They are determined to ensure that the mass murders do not become a household name. The desire for fame has been identified as a longstanding motivation that controls human behavior and subsequently escalates cases of gun violence. Violence blurs the line between fame and infamy because many of the perpetrators of gun violence believe that there is nothing as bad press.
Unfortunately, some of the harmful perpetrators of mass murders are individuals capable of committing mass massacres. Research has determined that this group of perpetrators exaggerate the negativity of how they are treated by the others, and this was as reported by their peers. The precise criteria for inclusion and the definition of mass shooters remains a subject of contempt. Although some sources indicate that the number of cases has decreased substantially, there has been a general increase in the number of the said cases, and this has been a great source of disdain among the racial groups of the American population.
Body Part II: Why Problem Needs Solving (importance; ramifications of ignoring the problem)
President Trump's racist rhetoric has mostly been blamed on the recent El Paso Shooting in which the shooter was identified as being one of the staunch Trump supporters with such attributes as a twitter account that contains the suspect's name with hashtags like ‘build the wall’ and the use of guns to spell out Trump’s name (Hasan, 2019). The immediate ramification for ignoring the threat that accrues from mass shootings includes increased fear among diverse racial populations as well as increased casualties.
Potential Solutions.
Solution 1
In view of the above challenges, therefore, some of the possible solutions the menace include standardizing and enforcing laws of gun ownership in the US. Results that accrue from research concerning gun legislation in the US have been mixed over the years. The use of individual laws as the primary variable is the main reason for the disparity in the way legislation governing gun laws is made and implemented. If well implemented, however, proper legislation is the best means of fighting and stopping mass murders.
Solution 2
One other viable means of fighting mass shootings is through funding Federal programs to perform 100 percent background checks. Such findings are meant to protect civilians against terrorists who mascaraed as fellow citizens and this will keep them out of danger.
Solution 3
Requiring private traders in firearms to do a background check on all potential buyers and banning the sale of some dangerous weapons (Lewis, 2019). Many of the mass shooting incidences involve people with private gun licenses or those with access to other such people who have guns they can use.
Best Solution.
Among all the possible solutions, the United States must harden potential scenes of mass murders with restricted access as well as better measures of security. Since the state cannot control the minds of the shooters, and it is likely always to have such cases they must equip civilians to prepare for such eventualities in case they occur. The state must include schools, large employers, as well as office buildings. Facilities ought to create panic buttons to cater for incidences of panic and great adversity.
Refute Possible Objections.
When the mass shooter is not from a member of the minority groups like Muslims or immigrant populations, the media perpetuates an image of a mentally disturbed individual (Bradner, 2019). However, if it happened to be a member of the minority groups, news reportage takes on terms like ‘terrorist’ and ‘terror’ attack to explain the same situation. Such divisive politicking with the issue of mass shootings leaves the general population in denial and divided about the issue of mass shootings.
Conclusion and Call to Action
Mass shootings are great distress to the American population and make the country unique among all the developed nations. Multiple American administrations have grappled with the issue of mass massacres, beginning with the very definition of the term. The US must deal with the imminent issue of mass crimes that threaten to tear apart the diverse fabric of the United States population.
References
Bradner, E. (2019). Guns, immigration, and racism: Mass shootings ignite huge 2020 debates . Retrieved from https://edition.cnn.com/2019/08/04/politics/trump-2020-democrats-guns-immigration/index.html
Frances, A. (2014, May 30). The Mind of the Mass Murderer: Understanding the motivations won't be enough to prevent the crimes . Retrieved from https://www.psychologytoday.com/intl/blog/saving-normal/201405/the-mind-the-mass-murderer
Hasan, M. (2019, August 4). After El Paso, We Can No Longer Ignore Trump’s Role in Inspiring Mass Shootings . Retrieved from https://theintercept.com/2019/08/04/el-paso-dayton-mass-shootings-donald-trump/
Lewis, M. (2019). How to Prevent Mass Shootings & Gun Violence in America – Statistics . Retrieved from https://www.moneycrashers.com/prevent-mass-shootings-gun-violence-america/
Silverstein, J. (2019, August ). There have been more mass shootings than days in 2019 . Retrieved from https://www.cbsnews.com/news/2019-mass-shootings-there-have-been-more-mass-shootings-than-days-this-year/
Wolf, Z. (2019, August 5). The US is under attack from within. Is this ever going to end? Retrieved from https://edition.cnn.com/2019/08/04/politics/mass-shootings-congress-trump-americans/index.html
