On Nov. 30, 2021, there was a fatal shooting at the Oxford High School outside of Detroit, Michigan. Authorities say at least 30 shots were fired, killing four students as well as wounding six students and one teacher from the high school. The four students who were killed were Madisyn Baldwin, Tate Myer, Hana St. Juliana and Justin Shilling.

The U.S. comprises less than 5% of the world’s population, yet we make up about 30% of the world’s public mass shooters and own 42% of the world’s guns.

It has been statistically proven that a country’s gun ownership rate correlates with the likelihood the country will experience a mass shooting. Since the U.S. is the top civilian gun-owning country in the world, it makes sense statistically why we continue to have so many mass shootings.

So, why does America still own so many guns, even after knowing they correlate to more mass shootings? The answer is simple: it’s because of money and power. The National Rifle Association is a political lobbying group that specializes in gun rights. It is one of the most powerful special interest lobby groups in the U.S., and it spends about $250 million per year to influence gun policy.

The NRA also has power over who is in office, as they publically grade members of Congress from A to F on their position on gun rights. These ratings greatly influence poll numbers and even who is voted into office.

Because of the NRA’s power, it is common to feel somewhat hopeless about changing gun policy, however, change is already starting. In 2018, gun control groups outspent the NRA and other gun rights groups during the midterm elections. The gun control groups Everytown for Gun Safety and Giffords have been growing tremendously and bringing in more money in this time, and thus have been able to have a larger positive influence on policy.

Survivors of gun violence, too, have a great positive impact on changing gun policy for the better. The survivors of the Parkland shootings, for example, have been poking holes in the NRA’s long-lasting influence over gun policy.

Until this problem of mass shootings is solved, we all need to work together to combat gun violence in America. I remember being in high school and being terrified that one day a shooting like this would happen to my school. During every lockdown, I was terrified it was real. Additionally, I had to teach kindergarteners at the after school program about what they should do in case a “bad person” came into the building.

The terrifying part is, these experiences are not unique to just some, in fact, I’m sure every Syracuse University student has experienced the fear of gun violence. This should not be the case — it is too easy to buy a gun in this country.

SU students can also play a part in changing the narrative. We can speak out and talk about how important gun control laws are. We can protest in solidarity with the Oxford High School. We can call out our own government officials and leaders. We can donate to organizations that are actively trying to end gun violence and mass shootings in America.

The bottom line is, it doesn’t matter how you get involved, it just matters that you do. We cannot traumatize another generation because we are too afraid to stand up to big gun organizations looking to profit off of human lives.

Melanie Wilder is a sophomore policy studies and information management double major. Her column appears biweekly. She can be reached at mewilder@syr.edu.

Published on December 8, 2021 at 10:40 pm