On Wednesday, Oct. 25, a gunman went on a shooting spree in Lewiston, Maine that resulted in the deaths of 18 people and injuries to 13 more. The shootings took place at a bowling alley, where there were children present at a youth league bowling night, as well as a bar at which people enjoyed their evening with no idea of the horror to come.
The shooting ranks as the tenth-deadliest shooting in American history and the deadliest shooting of 2023— however it is the 565th mass shooting in the United States this year alone.
The Daily Campus Editorial Board stands with the city of Lewiston, the families of the victims of this atrocity and all communities that have been afflicted by widespread gun violence. Mass shootings have taken far too many lives in the United States and have become an endemic form of violence. As an organization, The Daily Campus reaffirms its commitment to covering ensuing demonstrations and memorials in solidarity with victims of gun violence with care and accuracy.
Mass shootings and gun violence have been an ongoing issue in this country. Each year, we are presented with non-stop reports of shootings and deaths with no sign of stopping. Shootings occur at such a regular basis that they have become shockingly normalized, which causes gun violence to lose its salience as one of the most important issues we face today. Younger generations are particularly desensitized to this issue thanks to the prevalence of school shootings and the implementation of school shooting drills.
Public outcry always occurs after mass shootings, but little meaningful action is taken at the federal level thanks to the rampant pro-gun sentiment espoused by legislators and interest groups that dooms any change. By failing to address the political dominance of the arms industry, lawmakers tacitly enable individuals to commit acts of violence that could have been prevented by effective policy.
In the wake of this recent shooting in Lewiston, thoughts and prayers aren’t enough anymore, nor have they been for the past few decades of unfettered gun violence. How many more shootings is it going to take and how many more lives have to be taken to make a change? Gun violence and mass shootings are signs of a deeply broken society and need a robust social, political and economic movement to be eradicated. The bloodshed must come to an end — enough is enough.
It’ll be harder to convince people to give up their guns while we have people openly advocating death to people living on “stolen land”.