Gun violence has been a large contributor to the death toll within the United States. By researching “shootings in America” online, it is evident that the United States has a long history of deaths by gun violence. However, they have become more prevalent over the past few years. These issues include mass shootings, which involve the killing of four or more people by one or more offenders in a short span of time, normally within a few hours, and either in the same place or in locations that are geographically near one another.

Throughout the past few years, gun violence has become more prevalent within the United States; however, society is often misguided due to the media’s lack of proper coverage or racial biases creating a blanket of misconception over the general public. Shaun King once said, “If you want to stop mass shootings in America, consider banning white men.” Like many counter-statements towards gun violence, this statement was created because of anti-Muslim, anti-immigrant, black-on-black and Latino-on-Latino crime rhetoric. (Note that neither of those crime rates are basis for arguments. Shut up and Google it.)

Individuals such as the orange Cheeto puff, Donald Trump, have been known to make racist comments and attempt at instilling unfair policies that affect minorities due to this false ideology that these demographics are dangerous to the “average American citizen” (whypipo), such as contributing to the massive numbers associated with shootings. However, as research, history and news media can prove, the majority of these shootings are committed by white men.

According the analytic site, The Trace, within the 37 days between the Charleston church shooting and the Lafayette movie shooting, both of which are mass shootings that occurred in the US, 1,433 people were killed because of gun violence. Recently, gun violence plagued Las Vegas where nearly 500 people were injured and dozens were murdered, by a white gunman who premeditated this act along with the purchases of over 45 guns, or the white gunman who murdered 26 people at a church in Texas a few days ago.

Not only have regular white civilian men been the largest contributors of gun violence in the United States, but I would argue that many police officials have also fallen into this category. Overall, black people have increasingly been murdered by the guns of police officers, specifically white officers, throughout the United States. Michael Brelo, in 2012, shot at a black couple 49 times while on a high speed chase, even after other officers held their fire. In 2014, multiple Cleveland police officers were involved with the shooting of 12-year-old Tamir Rice after “mistaking” his toy gun for an actual handgun. Through these examples, it is unmistakable that like average white citizens, white police officers have also contributed to the gun violence epidemic through their policing of black and brown bodies.

Now there is conversation about allowing guns in churches, daycare centers, etc. With everything aforementioned, the government would look like fools to allow such a thing to happen — unless they could care less about the alarming rates that black and brown bodies are being murdered (sarcasm). Do better white America.

Gun Epidemic

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