The polarization of the gun policy debate is both a cause and consequence of America’s gun culture. Such rigid division on the issue prevents any progress from being made in mental health or gun policy to fix America’s mass shooting epidemic. A horrific shooting takes place, gets enormous media attention and the same old arguments are exchanged.
Gun rights advocates often defend weapons as merely “tools.” For the majority of Americans who want to see tighter gun control, we have a tool of our own: the vote.
Congressman John Katko of the New York 24th Congressional District was met with protests for his connection to the NRA following the shooting last week. Katko was endorsed by the NRA in 2014 and received nearly $10,000 in contributions from the lobby according to OpenSecrets. It is no surprise then, Katko has consistently voted for pro-gun legislation while in Congress. Rep. Tom Reed of neighboring NY-23 has received comparatively small, but still significant, cash from the NRA. Unsurprisingly, he denounced calls for gun legislation following the Las Vegas shooting.
Tragedies like the one in Parkland, Florida, are inevitably followed by uproar, protests and condemnation of the NRA. The backlash is not in vain, but it may be misdirected. Sometimes we forget that the people on whom we call to change things are employed by us, the citizens.
A cultural epidemic as complex as gun violence can only be solved by combining large societal progress with incremental policy change. Few individuals are capable of influencing broad cultural shifts, but everyone can help vote lawmakers out of office who do not support sensible policy reform. Each citizen has a hand in deciding future gun legislation if they choose to exercise their right to vote.
Nothing scares a politician like being kicked out of office. If congressmen begin seeing colleagues lose their jobs for their soft stance on guns, they will have no choice but to adopt a stricter position or suffer the same fate.
Guns are perhaps the most polarizing topic in the country. Neither side of the debate has a monopoly on the truth and certainly not sanity. Internet and cable TV screaming matches replace reasoned discussion about how to eradicate the issue of gun violence in America due to the sensationalized nature of the coverage.
It is easy to feel drowned by the same constant bickering, given the unfortunate frequency of mass shootings. Winning the argument becomes more important than real-life progress. America’s gun laws can be fixed eventually, but only if we take responsibility for the people who write those laws.
