Thursday, November 9, 2017

Gun violence is a men’s problem?

I found this article on Huff Post... and I thought with all the mass shootings that have happened over the past 20 years and how so much of this article speaks to what's happening in this class.  There was a specific part that really stuck out to me which was "Since 1966, only 3 women have been responsible for a mass shooting, compared to the hundreds men have carried out over the same time period. Gun violence is a men’s problem."  Is it?  

Ok you can dissect this question 15 different ways but why is it that when I read that particular statement that my first thought was Is it?  Is the larger question why and I asking that?  I don't know.  But as a mother I can say that gun violence is OUR problem.  It's the problem of every (to be specific to America only) AMERICAN!  Unless you're a hermit and not leaving your house, you are directly putting yourself in the possibility of being a victim to gun violence.  No I'm not a tin foil hat wearing conspiracy theorist... but living here in Orlando during Pulse.  Being woken up by friends outside of Orlando asking if we were ok (friends thinking we were out celebrating Pride).  I've realized that yeah... that can happen to you.  I'm fortunate to not have to live with the pain of knowing a victim of Pulse - but I have numerous friends who have lost a loved one there.  And every day as I walk into work I see the beautiful mural of Juan and Drew on the side of the SU.

So while yes, men commit 99.9% of mass shootings, I feel that it's all of our problem.

https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/toxic-masculinity-is-the-real-cause-of-mass-shootings_us_5a02786ce4b0230facb84147

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