Blog #5: Applying ethos

       Gun violence has taken many of our loved ones. If you have ever experienced the loss of a loved one then you know that it is like there is a gaping whole in your heart that cannot be fixed. Only time can heal the pain. No, I have personally not lost any family members to gun violence, but I, like many people who have lost loved ones to gun violence, have had to experience the feeling of loss. I cannot lie that the type of loss is not even on the same page as losing someone to gun violence, which usually tends to be sporadic and random. People whose fate was decided by gun violence, if it even seems right to say so. I have had to deal with the loss of my grandmother to pancreatic cancer about a year ago. The pain was unbearable and still has not entirely gone away, and frankly it never will. The same goes for people who lose their brothers, sisters, mothers, fathers, friends, cousins, husbands, and wives to guns. No one, and nothing can ever bring them back, and healing can only diminish the pain, however, the pain will never go away. Just think about a time when you lost a loved one who was close to you.

The fact that a shooting like the one at Sandy Hook Elementary School last December occurred so close to home has significantly shaped my life as a student today, especially because of the close proximity to Newtown. I have seen major changes to the system such as the new "Run, hide, and fight" drills, in which students like me are now taught how to protect themselves from a shooter. What does this say about our society today, have we really ignored the issue so much that now our own protection is all on us; children, parents, anyone to protect ourselves? What happened to the beliefs of police officers keeping us safe from the bad guys, whats the point in even having police today if we are just putting individual protection on individuals, especially students?

I also personally know a family member who was a student at Virginia Tech, at the time of the shooting. He personally knew several people who were killed. Even though I don't know the victims, it really hit home at the fact that one of my close relatives knew them. It really changes how you feel about gun violence. That is why we must view gun violence as something affecting all of us because anyone, anywhere is under the threat, and we can't keep ignoring this fact, even though it may be very disturbing to think about. 
 

     It is a part of human nature to feel sad from the loss of life, and no matter what way life is taken it does not change. We as human beings hate losing loved ones, and the feeling of being alone, yet we have done little to stop the issue of gun violence. If we hate the feeling of loss, then why do we just stand by as more shootings occur, and more loved ones lives are taken from their families and friends?It is time for a change. We must improve the issue of gun violence by passing stronger laws that limit the use of guns, or ban them all together for the general public. Even though people may say that it is a part of our rights as citizens to have the right to bear arms, however is it really worth the threat of loss that we have to deal with for the rest of our lives? The answer is no, it is not worth the loss. Just think about it, what if that were one of your loved ones, if you could do anything to protect them wouldn't you do it? The solution is to ban the use of guns in our society, even though this may infringe on our rights as citizens to bear arms, don't we also have the right to be safe and protected in our own communities. I don't know about you but I certainly value safety over leisure.