Op-Ed: We can't let this happen any longer

After the recent appalling and sickening nightmare in Las Vegas, the gun control debate has inflamed American politics. Another 59 lives have been taken unnecessarily and tragically, leaving citizens across the country devastated, ripped from friends and family at the hands of an abnormally American issue. Mass shootings are no longer once-in-a-decade or once in a presidential term. During Obama’s eight-year administration, he had to address a broken country 14 different times after horrific mass shootings. Each mass shooting leads to an intense, passionate debate over gun control for about two weeks, but as the news story fades, so does the heat behind the issue.

However, gun control isn’t just about mass shootings. Gun control, which focuses on policies to reduce and regulate the sale, trade, usage and holding of guns, is important to prevent the 33,000 annual American injuries and deaths from gun violence. Increased firearm ownership also poses a risk for homicides and suicides. Almost 60 percent of gun death are suicides, and when someone suffering from mental illness has easy access to a gun, they are more likely to make a rash decision rather than seeking help.

Each mass shooting seems worse than the last, yet the American population has been conditioned to normalize them. The most recent Vegas shooting on Oct. 1 is now the deadliest incident of its kind in American history, yet we are in the same debate as always. Democrats plead for gun control legislation, or even a formal debate to discuss the issue. Meanwhile, conservatives, many of whom are backed and lobbied by the National Rifle Association (NRA), claim that gun laws will not stop the violence, that this right is protected for everyone under the second amendment and that "now is not the time to talk about gun control." However, if not now, when? A significant issue surrounding for gun control supporters is its lack of momentum. Most Americans support gun control policies, in at least some capacity; the problem is that this percentage of the population is not as ardent and in tune about the debate as gun rights supporters.

Although many states are working to change laws in their own legislatures, people can still cross state lines to obtain a gun. Chicago, for example, has strict gun laws; however, 60 percent of guns recovered at crime scenes between 2009 and 2013 were bought outside the state, often through secondhand vendors. The only way to truly solve the issue of gun control is to approach the issue on a federal level. However, as so many Republicans in power are funded by the NRA, this will be hard in the current administration.

In February, Republicans and Trump rolled back a rule of the Obama administration restraining those with mental illness to purchase guns, creating a detrimental standard for gun rights in the administration. In the aftermath of Vegas, many are calling for regulation on bump stocks, a tool that Stephen Paddock used to transform his gun into a rapid-fire weapon. Californian Democrat Senator Dianne Feinstein recently introduced a bill that would ban bump stocks. However, many gun policy experts believe this is not enough — it does not account for controlling suicides and homicides, and there are other ways to transition a semi-automatic gun into a rapid-fire and almost automatic weapon.

As Democrats, we call for waiting periods, strengthened background checks and ending gun show loopholes. However, until Republicans realize the correlation between gun violence and gun accessibility, the tragedies, like Vegas, Orlando and Sandy Hook, will continue. We are emphasizing the use of individual activism, by calling and writing your representative, pressing them to recognize your, along with the millions of other Americans, desire and necessity for gun control. Before you vote, look into a candidate's position on gun control. In addition, we must keep the action alive past a single media cycle. Just because the news stopped covering it doesn’t mean it is not important. Just because guns are a polarized issue does not mean it is unsolvable.

The only way definite way to pass this important legislation is to take power back from the Republicans. This starts with the midterm election in Congress in 2018. This is only a short year away, and Democrats across the country are already mobilizing for the fight. Preparing the party is about more than politicized topics, but protecting lives and ensuring a better America.