The point of contention that I have chosen to analyze on Twitter is gun control. In light of the mass shootings that occurred both over the weekend and today, I thought this would be a timely discussion.
Twitter has been lighting up with tweets pertaining to gun control and calling for reform. As exemplified below, some argue that no law can prevent someone from getting their hands on guns to commit violent crimes.
Today, a 15 year old teen killed 1 and wounded 4 in a shooting At Saugus HS In Santa Clarita, California.
California has:
-Background checks
-Assault Weapon
-High Cap magazine ban
-Ammo tax
-Gun purchase waiting periods#GunControl control did not prevent this #2A— Kerr Mckrackin 🇺🇸 (@KMckrackin) November 14, 2019
Guns dont just decide one day to wake up and shoot you, criminals do.
Criminals are going to be criminals, with or without confiscation of guns.
Worse, you'll have nothing left to defend yourself when criminals come knocking your house.#guncontrol
— Wei Sheng (@weisheng820) November 12, 2019
Others argue that only by first addressing the societal issues causing gun violence can we create lasting and effective change.
Most of my progressive Liberal friends are not going to like this. #guncontrol is not the issue. Yes, weapons of war should not be on the streets.
But there are larger issues causing all this havoc and until we address the real cause of this violence, it will only continue.
— MSquared (@MSquare64112215) November 14, 2019
As demonstrated in the tweet below, others feel that gun violence is preventable with proper legislation.
It’s impossible to express the amount of anger I feel at the right wing gun nuts every time something like this happens. This is preventable. What is wrong with these pro automatic weapon people?#GunControl
— David Hoffman (@atDavidHoffman) November 14, 2019
Some argue the fact that other countries, in this case Australia, have enacted legislation that has eliminated school shootings.
I live in Australia. Our gun laws clamped down after Port Arthur. Yes, shootings still happen. Gun suicides still occur. You know what you don’t see ever?
School shootings.#GunControl works. Gun legislation works.
— Weihan Liang (@LordRexWL) November 14, 2019
Others specifically call out Donald Trump and his administration, asking when they will take action to end the violence.
– Santa Clarita school shooting on Thursday
– San Diego home shooting on Friday
– Fresno home shooting on Sunday
– Oklahoma walmart shooting this morning@realDonaldTrump how many more shootings need to happen for you and your government to do something about it? #GunControl— anonyme (@ChaverriLaVie) November 18, 2019
I am in complete support of gun reform and gun control. We have allowed gun violence to perpetuate and become a cultural norm that one Twitter user remarks has become “as American as apple pie.” Gun violence is an epidemic in the United States and lawmakers must dedicate themselves to its end.