People reflect as they pay their respects on March 23, 2021 to the ten victims of a mass shooting at a King Soopers grocery store in Boulder, Colorado
As the world watched Joe Biden being sworn in during his presidential inauguration on January 20, a sense of hope washed over America. For the first time in four years, it felt as if our country was in good hands, and everything would be alright. Flash forward a month later, and it seems that comforting sense of optimism has slowly begun to erode. The reason being the string of mass shootings occurring within the U.S., some of which were reportedly linked to anti-Asian hate crimes.
The latest mass shooting took place Monday, when a gunman opened fire at a King Soopers grocery store in Boulder, Colorado, killing 10 people. One of which was a Boulder police officer. The shooting took place less than a week after a gunman shot and killed eight people at a spa in Atlanta, Georgia, six of whom were Asian women.
This is the 7th mass shooting to occur within 7 days in the U.S.
While officials have not confirmed a motive for the shooting, Boulder authorities identified 21-year-old Ahmad Al Aliwi Alissa as the suspected gunman during Mondays attack. He has been charged with 10 counts of first-degree murder.
Not only have these attacks sparked discussion surrounding gun control legislation, they've also shed light on the reoccurring injustices regarding race and misogyny within the U.S.
39,707 people were killed in incidents involving firearms in the U.S in 2019, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Following Monday's shooting, President Joe Biden said the incident should motivate Washington and the nation to double down on gun legislation. During an address on Tuesday, Biden said he would do everything in his power to keep Americans safe, by pushing for a pair of House-passed gun reforms.
"I don't need to wait another minute, let alone an hour, to take common sense steps that will save lives in the future," Biden said.
"This is not -- it should not be -- a partisan issue. This is an American issue," he added. "It will save lives, American lives. We have to act."
The reforms Biden is referring to would include a universal background checks measure and an assault weapons ban. The reality that many states don't already require background checks upon purchasing a firearm is astounding to me. Within hours after news broke of the shooting, many individuals took to Twitter to voice their frustration on the ongoing gun violence occurring within the U.S.
"Week after week, month after month, year after year – the gun violence doesn't end. And things won't get better until Democrats get rid of the filibuster and finally pass gun safety legislation that a huge majority of Americans support. What are we waiting for – another tragedy?" U.S. Senator Elizabeth Warren tweeted.We need to address these shootings for what they are: domestic terrorist attacks. Democrats and Republicans need to work together to install effective gun safety measures throughout our country. How many more innocent lives need to be taken in order for lawmakers to open their eyes?Have you got something to say about this subject? Submit a post here and start the conversation.
