Desensitization of the Media

About a week ago, Florida suffered another mass shooting. The 18th mass school shooting since 2018 began, and that is only two months. Not only is that a painfully short timeframe for that many mass shootings, but that number only accounts for school shootings as well. It does not even begin to touch on how much tragedy has really been reality in 59 days.

A couple of days ago, people were talking about it in hushed, mourning whispers in that way that they do after tragedies like this strike. Everyone has an opinion. It is what makes us all individuals, isn’t it? I was amongst a discussion this week about America, the numbers of mass shootings, and what should be done about it. Of course, in Canada, we don’t typically live through experiences like these. It is scary, and heartbreaking, but for the most part, it isn’t really a reality here. Don’t get me wrong, I’m beyond thankful for that, but I wish that others could feel this safety as well. It shouldn’t be a privilege to feel safe in a school environment. It needs to be a right. You should not have to fear for your life every morning you wake up for calculus. This needs to end.

I think part of the issue, is how desensitized everyone gets to tragedies like this because they don’t really happen in Canada often, and because they happen so often everywhere else that we are always reading about them online. It doesn’t seem like a reality. It shouldn’t have to be a reality.

In a discussion this week, someone asked why gun laws aren’t stricter, and why they should be. Hands rose all around the room. One student was called on, and this is a response that has been ringing through my mind ever since it was spoken. “It’s just a dangerous hobby,” they said, “Dangerous things like rock climbing, and skydiving aren’t illegal, so why should there be stricter gun laws? People know the risks, and they take them.”

This stuck with me. I’m still thinking it over.

Somehow, this person read about the loss of 17 lives. Seventeen children who won’t return to their families, and they decided that their take on it was that, “things happen, people take risks.”

I don’t know about anyone else, but personally, I love rock climbing. I always have. However, I myself, don’t recall a time hearing about an individual killing or injuring a large number of people while rock climbing. Comparing these two things, in my opinion, is absolutely unacceptable. There is a difference between partaking in dangerous sports, and owning a semi-automatic assault rifle at 19 years old.

While some people hunt, go to gun ranges, target practice, and do actually involve themselves in hobbies including guns—I ask you, how can you not see the difference between visiting a gun range as sport, and owning a military grade semi-automatic weapon? Regular civilians should absolutely not have access to weapons like that.

We become so desensitized to tragedy as a society, because we hear about it so often, and to me, that is a major part of the issue.

Nothing can change if people do not see what is wrong.

I don’t know about you, but simple hobbies like rock climbing, should absolutely NOT be compared to the loss of 17 lives and counting. We need to look at the bigger picture, and we need to remind ourselves to have empathy.

Society loves to scroll past news stories and tragedy, because “That could never be us.” But the reality is, we all think that. You never see yourself in that situation until you are. But regardless, you shouldn’t have to be put through a traumatic experience like that, to understand the problem here. Read about the news. I promise it doesn’t make you old. Educate yourself. Have compassion. Have common sense.

Protect yourself and protect others. Speak out.