Gun Violence In America- Jackelyn Ovalle

 Gun Violence In America

Problem Today

Gun violence is a major problem in our everyday lives because we either hear about or know someone affected by it these days.​By having many tragedies it is evident that most individuals of color/minority groups are affected because of racism that is still alive. ​For example, The El Paso shooting in 2019 was a mass shooting in which the suspect was targeting a specific group of people, specifically Hispanic individuals which should be considered domestic terrorism but it is not. ​

Background

News and social media, politics, and implicit biases greatly affect our understanding of gun violence.​ Gun violence such as the February 2018 school shooting in Parkland, Florida, and the mass shooting at an outdoor concert in Las Vegas are events that have shown Americans societies morals. ​​"By the end of 2019, there were 417 mass shootings in the U.S., according to data from the nonprofit Gun Violence Archive (GVA), which tracks every mass shooting in the country”(Jason  Silvers).This social problem has now brought individuals the fear of going to school, public places, and events now,especially marginal groups.

                            What Communities Are More At Risk?  

Gun violence is committed in low-income, mostly racial/ethnic minority communities. Anyone can be affected by firearm violence but in certain situations gun violence disproportionately impacts communities of color, women and other marginalized groups in society.​An event that has recently been brought up is the El Paso, Texas, Mass Shooting in which has shown the racism in America alive today. ​The New York Times writer, Heather Murphy wrote the article, “El Paso Shooting Suspect Indicted on Capital Murder Charge," discussing the mass shooting and the suspect. “The suspect, who is white, also told the police that he had targeted Mexicans, according to the authorities. The massacre, on Aug. 3, was one of the deadliest mass shootings in United States history”(Murphy, 1). ​This is significant because the shooter only targeted Hispanics because it is in “response to the Hispanic invasion of Texas”.​Minority groups are at high risk of being selected in gun attacks because racism is now being acknowledged and praised by our President that believes Hispanics and African Americans are the reason for violence and crime. ​Even with gun laws it is easy to buy a gun from other places. ​Marginal groups are now more aware of their surroundings causing panic and trauma after viewing these events. This a recent event that showed a white supremacist action.​

 

 

Importance 

This topic is important to our society today because we are the ones living through these tragic events whether it be through the news, individuals, and our own president. This research project aligns with civic engagement because I am addressing an issue that has been shown in our society within this crazy year. This year has been a roller coaster because of events such as police brutality, COVID, Riots, Activism, and so forth. Gun Violence has been evident this year and is a social issue that has been around for a while. As a citizen living in America I am using my voice for an issue we all have heard, seen, or been through.

Personal Statement    

In my opinion I fear gun violence happening in public spaces and large crowds. It is not fair that I do not feel safe in areas that should be a safe place. I am a part of the minority group because I am Hispanic . From personal experience my sister and brother were at risk due to gun violence once in high school. In 2019 in February someone wanted to shoot their school like the Douglas High event. To my surprise a kid posted it saying to "kill all aliens". Living in a Hispanic city and having people argue and result to violence has always been around. In 2020, in Georgia Ahmaud Arbery, A young black man who's February shooting death sparked controversy across the country, was hunted down by two racist white men in which the killers did not get charged before the video was released to the public. His life was taken because of the color of his skin and the state would have covered  it if it was not spread on social media. Minority groups are always targeted to gun violence because nothing is being done and is a topic that needs to be talked about.​ Shootings and racism towards minority groups have been "normalized" in today's messed up society and is a serious problem that should change.

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Works Cited

Murphy, Heather. “El Paso Shooting Suspect Indicted on Capital Murder Charge.” The New York Times, The New York Times, 12 Sept. 2019, www.nytimes.com/2019/09/12 /us/ el -paso-suspect-capital-murder.html. 

Silverstein, Jason. “There Were More Mass Shootings than Days in 2019.” CBS News, CBS Interactive, 2 Jan. 2020, www.cbsnews.com/news/mass-shootings-2019 -more-than- days-365/.