This is a fraught moment in our nation’s history. When Donald Trump became president, we were forced to hold a mirror up to the insidious currents of racism and other forms of intolerance that plague the United States. When Trump banned Muslims from this country and said black football players should be fired for protesting, we were reminded that there are still deeply rooted prejudices in many Americans’ hearts.
And when 59 people were shot to death from a Las Vegas hotel room less than a week ago, we confronted, yet again, our beyond frustrating inability to put aside politics and party to reflect on the broken laws that make massacres like the Las Vegas shooting possible in the first place.
Fifty-nine people died and more than 500 were injured in one of the most deadly mass shootings in U.S. history.
The argument of gun control advocates: A tragedy of this scope should be unfathomable. No one person should be able to obtain that many guns and that much ammunition. With stricter gun regulations, events like these might not be wiped out completely, but they will become less frequent.
The argument of gun rights activists: This was a tragic but unavoidable event. “Nutcases” like the Las Vegas shooter will always figure out how to get guns. People need to be allowed to defend themselves. Guns are what keep us safe.