Samuel Studer
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A Halloween shooting in Colorado Springs last weekend left three dead. Noah Harpham shot a bicyclist and two women on the porch of a sober-living home. Police originally classified the 911 call as a suspicious person; Harpham was walking into a building carrying gasoline cans and a gun. After continuing the conversation, the call was given priority 2, meaning the situation was potentially dangerous but not apparently life-threatening.
The dispatcher stayed on the phone with the caller for several minutes. The dispatcher noted that Colorado is an open-carry state. Before an officer was dispatched, Harpham shot the bicyclist. At that time, officers were dispatched to the site. When police arrived, Harpham tried to shoot at police officers. Officers then returned fire, and Harpham was killed.
It has never been easier for men such as Harpham to get guns, even if they do not have permits to carry. The problems that are surrounded by gun violence are still growing. Too often, Americans are shocked that a gun was brought into a public place and many were injured or even killed.
President Obama has spoken out on the issue. He stated after a shooting killed nine in Oregon, “Somehow this has become routine. The reporting is routine. My response here at this podium ends up being routine, the conversation in the aftermath of it … We have become numb to this.”
Early in October, Senate Democrats made plans for gun-control reforms, including closing background-check loopholes, increasing the background-check database, and tightening regulations on illegal gun sales. The many mass shootings we’ve had recently demand we look at new legislation. This new plan would shadow the Manchin-Toomey bill in 2013 that called for universal background checks.
It is time that we take a stand for the victims of these tragedies and their families. We do not know what goes through the heads of the shooters, and it becomes very difficult to comprehend the motivations of the individuals. We must take a stand. It is not OK to let innocent people die. Lobbying for change will help to strengthen gun laws. in the U.S.
I understand that this country was built on the idea that we have right to carry guns and that many conservatives think that the laws should not be changed. They use diversionary tactics to stop gun-control bills. I agree that we should have a right to carry, yet, people must be able to pass background checks in order to carry weapons. We must think about innocent people who walk the streets. The events such as the shooting in Colorado have become more frequent and more violent. It is our responsibility to try to help prevent the heartache of families losing relatives. It is important to understand the dangers of guns and help prevent them falling into the wrong hands. This issue must be faced head-on; gun laws must be changed.
