History of mass gun violence may define our past, but it cannot define our future


Shideh Ghandeharizadeh | Daily Trojan

On Monday at noon, reports of an active shooter on our campus ground daily university life to a jarring halt. While the Los Angeles Police Department and USC Department of Public Safety later found the reports to be false, the incident was particularly unnerving following a weekend of mass shootings across the United States.

Early Sunday morning, three people were shot and killed at a bar near the University of Kansas. And less than 24 hours later, a gunman opened fire on a crowd of thousands at a music festival from the window of a Las Vegas hotel. By Monday, at least 59 were dead and more than 500 were hospitalized in the aftermath of the worst mass shooting in recent American history.

It is tempting to treat these tragedies with individualized attention and focus. But we cannot separate these events from the greater crisis that we, as Americans, are all a part of.

Every Friday, the Daily Trojan editorial board publishes a stance on an issue pertinent to the campus community. However, due to the critical nature of the events that have unfolded over the last 24 hours, it is evident that now is the time for meaningful discourse — it simply cannot wait. At USC, most undergraduates have witnessed the four deadliest mass shootings in modern U.S. history during their lifetimes. We have heard time and time again about the need for gun control, the need for institutional change and the need to better prepare for the next mass gun-driven casualty. But put simply, we cannot wait for the next tragedy to strike before taking action.

It is our classmates who fled from Fertitta Hall in the face of a not-so-unbelievable occurrence that has taken place on many college campuses. It is our futures that will develop in a world where our peers have become desensitized to the violence of mass shootings. It is our lives that hang in the balance — and it will continue to be our peers who perish at the hands of this political stalemate.

College students are consistently called upon to be the change we wish to see in the world. Since the culture wars of the 1960s, American college campuses have been hubs for activism, political leadership and revolution. But the daunting reality is that neither we as students nor our university administrators have the complete power to fix this greater national crisis. It is up to our state and federal lawmakers to recognize that gun control is not and has never been about scoring cheap political points or clinging to catchy rhetorical narratives about liberty. Rather, this is about our livelihoods as their constituents, and what is arguably the most powerful modern barrier to Americans’ right to safely pursue life, liberty and happiness.

That being said, students can and must take actionl. It is of paramount importance that they express their views and vocalize their demands, that they engage in peaceful protests and do all that they can to stay aware, informed and involved. Meaningful change in the national political sphere has always begun on college campuses, and it is our responsibility to continue this tradition.

In the same vein, USC must also take action as well. Last year’s overcrowded Springfest concert could too easily have been the site of a gun-related catastrophe similar to Sunday night’s shooting in Las Vegas.

Ultimately, the debate is about de-escalation, and how we can prevent tragic gun deaths of all kinds from occurring. Just two weeks before the Las Vegas shooting, Georgia Tech campus police shot and killed a suicidal, knife-wielding student, a death that could have been prevented with mental health training and the use of less deadly weapons. At the same time, DPS is currently deciding whether to provide tasers to officers who currently have only firearms as their sole tool to de-escalate violent situations. While it’s crucial that campus police be armed with the necessary tools to address potential armed attackers — like the false shooting report that took place on Monday — the Georgia Tech shooting signals that more guns are never the only answer.

Credible research has shown for years that firearms function exclusively in an offensive capacity, and often fail to adequately serve as defense mechanisms. Fifty-nine were slaughtered and hundreds injured before the Sunday evening Las Vegas gunman was stopped — and not by gun-wielding law enforcement officers than by his decision to shoot himself. In the wake of this tragedy, our dialogue cannot be one of helplessness and confusion, but of how we as a nation can move forward and enact meaningful change to ensure that this does not happen again. This is necessary not only on a national level, but also on college campuses — many of which have been sites for campus shootings and violent escalations — across the country.

Almost as tragic as these incidents themselves is the simple reality of how avoidable they would be if U.S. lawmakers listened to credible research and the agonized voices of their constituents rather than lobbyists like the National Rifle Association. It is staggering to consider the sheer number of lives that could have been saved by implementing common-sense restrictions, such as regulating on-site sales at gun shows, sales of semi-automatic weapons and keeping guns out of the hands of individuals with records of violence and criminal histories.

USC’s student body and administrators can and must do more than think and pray. Students must call their representatives, and on municipal, state and federal levels, vote for lawmakers who care about their well-being. Our nation’s future is on the line.

Daily Trojan Fall 2017 Editorial Board

2 replies
  1. BoredHousewife
    BoredHousewife says:

    We need to talk about guns, true, but let’s take a more scientific look…. studies from other countries show that use of certain prescription drugs cause homicidal and/or suicidal thoughts. Nevada papers are reporting that Paddock was prescribed diazepam in June — about the time he started amassing guns. We would be negligent if we didn’t look carefully at the interplay between psycho-active prescription drugs and episodes of violence in this country — whether the weapon was guns, knives, or other.

  2. Lunderful
    Lunderful says:

    I can’t wait to challenge any legislation intended to dilute our 2nd Amendment right. Think! There is not a law on the books or a new piece of legislation that could prevent instances like the one that happened in Las Vegas. However, acting against guns sounds good and feels good, so the puerile types march on.

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