Last week, our nation experienced a horrible tragedy, the details of which were all too familiar.
Three people were killed and three are critically wounded after a student opened fire in his high school cafeteria, eventually turning the weapon on himself. At a time when students should have been enjoying lunch and finishing last-minute homework, they were suddenly running for their lives.
The community of Marysville, Washington, will forever be changed by this horrific event, and all Americans should be outraged because of it.
We should be outraged that more than 30,000 people in the U.S. die each year from gun violence, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
We should be outraged that 87 incidents of gun-related deaths or injuries occurred in schools since Sandy Hook.
We should be outraged that grocery stores, schools, college campuses, movie theaters and malls have all been places where innocent people were shot and killed.
But instead of outrage, America heaved a long sigh, shook its head for a few minutes and then began talking about something else. We have become a country so accustomed to seeing mass shootings splashed across the news that it almost seems normal to us.
This is not normal.
According to the Washington Post, Americans are 20 times more likely to be killed by a gun than citizens in other developed countries.
We cannot and should not accept this reality. We deserve better than these statistics, and we have to demand better. We have to become outraged again, or we will never see real change.
Since the mass shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School, in which 20 children and six adults were killed, Congress has passed zero gun-control laws. That means zero attempts at trying to make our country safer to live in. I can only imagine how this must feel to the families who lost loved ones due to senseless gun violence.
How many more shootings will it take before our lawmakers are convinced they need to take action? How many more people must die before we realize enough is enough?
Unfortunately, many people are still opposed to even having a conversation about gun control, despite the fact that gun violence in America has become a common event. In fact, some gun rights activists even propose we make it easier for people to buy guns and carry them in public places, arguing that more guns will make society safer from gun violence.
According to a study published by the American Journal of Medicine, the U.S. has the highest rates of gun ownership and also the highest rates of gun-related deaths compared to 27 other developed nations. More guns are not, and will never be, the answer.
I am not advocating for snatching guns out of the hands of law-abiding citizens because I recognize that many Americans are responsible and careful with their guns.
This is not a conversation about taking away rights; this is about increasing responsibility for all parties involved with purchasing and owning a gun.
The majority of Americans support universal background checks for all gun purchasers, and about 85 percent of gun owners favor background checks on private gun sales and at gun shows. Potential gun purchasers should also be screened for any mental health issues, as well as any past instances of abuse.
Bans on military assault weapons are also crucial steps in reducing gun violence. The Law Center to Prevent Gun Violence reports that military assault weapons are frequently involved in many high-profile, mass shootings, including Sandy Hook, Aurora and Columbine.
A study of mass shootings from Mayors Against Illegal Guns concluded that shootings conducted with assault weapons resulted in 135 percent more people shot than incidents in which less lethal weapons were used. This is not surprising considering how these semi-automatic weapons are used in our military and designed to kill as many people as possible in a small amount of time.
Appallingly, assault weapons are easily available for sale in most states. These deadly weapons, which are designed for times of war, have no place in our communities. We need to demand a change.
Hopefully, it will not take another tragedy to inspire a stand against gun violence. Otherwise, we will be forced to watch the senseless violence continue to unfold.
Moriah Camenker is a UF public relations senior. Her columns appear on Tuesdays.
[A version of this story ran on page 7 on 10/28/2014]
