Gun Violence in America

“These events are terrifying because they occur without warning in the most mundane places. Most of the victims are chosen not for what they have done but because of where they happen to be.”—The Washington Post.

Last Sunday at the grocery store in the drink aisle, we heard that sound. That distinctive pop everyone is afraid of these days. I froze. Holding my breath, I counted the seconds, ready to grab my boyfriend, get down, and get the hell out.

1... 2... 3... 4... 5... Nothing. I relaxed a little and as I craned my neck to look over the tops of the shelves, I saw a pink balloon float up to the ceiling. It was a balloon. I have never in my life been anywhere, heard a balloon pop, and wondered, “is today that day? Is today the day it happens to me?” until recently. I never had to. I’m 29. I was 12 on 9/11 and I remember it well. I remember when you didn’t have to take your shoes off at the airport and when people could come to the gate to meet you or see you off, even if they didn’t have a ticket. I remember when school shootings still shocked people.

This piece started out as a vehement disapproval of assault weapons, but as I wrote, it evolved. Contrary to popular belief, most people on this side of the gun debate don’t want to take all guns away from everyone. We just want order and tougher regulations to keep guns out of the hands of people like those responsible for the 1,102 deaths of the 1,102 people listed at the end of this article. The kind of person who is against tougher regulations is probably the kind of person for whom those regulations would be in place. The people who get angry do so because they know they’re the kind of person who shouldn’t have guns. For some people, we are coming for their guns and I’m not sorry. If someone has a history of violent behavior, they shouldn’t have access to firearms. If someone has a history of suicidal tendencies or has made credible threats to hurt themselves and/or others, they shouldn’t have access to firearms.

46 children and teens are shot every day. Isn’t that 46 too many? If your first thought was “oh that’s not as bad as I thought it would be” I invite you to stop and think about that reaction for a second. The fact that 46 children and teens are shot every day and some people think “oh, fewer than I thought” is the entire gun problem in a nutshell. We’ve become so desensitized to this violence than some of us don’t react with shock to the idea of nearly 50 children getting shot every day. Of that 46, seven of them will die (Brady Campaign). Isn’t that seven too many? Even if 39 survive, isn’t that 39 too many children who have been shot and will forever know what it’s like to recover from a gunshot wound before they know some of life’s most wonderful rites of passage? School dances, their first kiss, learning to drive, getting accepted to college… these are all things these kids should be looking forward to. Not getting out of the hospital or getting through physical therapy. What number of wounded children would shock this country into loving our kids more than we love our guns?

In addition, 318 adults are shot every day—96 of them die. 17,102 children and teens are shot every year—2,737 of them die. 116,255 adults are shot every year—35,141 of them die. That’s enough people to fill Fenway Park (capacity 37,000). Isn’t that enough?

Self-proclaimed gun-nuts will talk about how it’s their right to own high-powered assault rifles, as though our founding fathers could ever have foreseen the invention of such instruments of death. Not to mention, given the fact that only white men weighed in on the Constitution when it was first written, I feel like it may need an update or two from time to time. Either way, it’s much harder to argue the politics of guns than it is the science. Here are some of the important physical properties of the AR-15 to keep in mind:

• The bullet from an AR-15 leaves the muzzle at three times the speed of a handgun bullet. It can obliterate three inches of leg bone and cause vital organs to burst. While a bullet wound from a handgun can be devastating depending on placement, there is always the possibility of a clean through and through wound. The exit wound from an AR-15 is a shredded, jagged hole the size of a grapefruit. The AR-15 also doesn’t have a kick, despite its size and power, so you can fire it as fast as you can move your finger. While handguns are responsible for the majority of America’s gun crimes and related deaths, a single bullet from a handgun is not likely to be as deadly as a single bullet from an AR-15 (source: Wired).

If that doesn’t scare you, we’re not having the same conversation. The thing is this: We’re not asking for the total prohibition of guns and ammunition. We’re asking for the law to be more strict regarding who can get a gun and how, we want those laws to be enforced, and we want people who violate those laws to be punished in a way that deters others from emulating their behavior. So let’s talk about regulations. When I asked around, these were the most common suggestions, from anti-gun activists and people who consider themselves to be reasonable gun owners alike:

Ban civilian ownership of military-grade assault weapons. No one needs these. They are instruments of war and have done a great amount of harm and no good in the hands of civilians.

1. Universal background checks.
2. Mandatory psychiatric evaluation.
3. Mandatory waiting periods on every purchase, every time, no exceptions.
4. Ever been arrested for domestic violence or any other violent crime? Have a documented history of violence? No guns for you, ever. No exceptions.
5. Raise the minimum age to purchase guns. I think 21 is fair but I’m in favor of raising it to 25. Call it paranoia, but I don’t think the legal drinking age and the legal age to own a gun should fall on the same birthday.
6. No private sales, no sales at gun shows, no purchasing for minors as gifts. No exceptions.
7. Ban bump stocks.
8. Ban high capacity magazines.
9. Enforce a strict magazine limit.
10. Proficiency and safety licensing renewed every 6-12 months.

I’m finding those responsible gun owners who have normal guns and keep guns for whatever genuinely non-shitty reason they have, feel that list is a good jumping off point for negotiations. When people react wildly and angrily, it’s always because something on that list prevents them from owning wildly dangerous guns they probably shouldn’t have access to anyway.

I’ve been around guns all my life. I’m the daughter of two Army Specialists, the granddaughter of a Vietnam Veteran, and the great-granddaughter of a WWII Veteran. Guns weren’t something I saw as tools of horrific violence until Columbine. They were part of a uniform to me. I moved to Arizona in 2006 and I’ve had two grown men pull guns on me from their vehicles because of my reaction to things they did. One of them almost hit me with his car and then pulled his gun on me. The other thought I was talking to him when I was on the phone and wouldn’t hear otherwise. This is a sickness that will keep spreading and festering until we cure it.

The cure may lie in showing the carnage of these shootings. Show the blood on the floors of high schools and shopping malls. That’s what ended the Vietnam War. Perhaps it could shock us to our senses once again. I’m not even going to get into arming teachers. It’s a stupid idea, and I call it that because it’s such a bad idea that it doesn’t deserve a better descriptor. It’s just plain stupid. How long after we arm teachers until we hear about a disgruntled teacher in Some Town You Know, USA stalking the halls of the school they’re supposed to protect, picking off students and teachers alike? That’s not a cure. That’s a way to divert the violence. It will keep popping up until we decide to put a stop to it. The way to do that is not with more guns. There were people - trained professionals - with guns in Parkland on February 14th. What good did it do?

Since August 1, 1966, there have been 1,102 people killed in mass shootings. These are their names, in the order the shootings occurred, starting with the most recent:

Gerald Fischman, Rob Hiaasen, John McNamara, Rebecca Smith, Wendi Winters, Aaron Kyle McLeod, Angelique Ramirez, Kimberly Vaugn, Cynthia Tisdale, Sabika Sheikh, Chris Stone, Jared Black, Shana Fisher, Glenda Ann Perkins, Christian Riley Garcia, DeEbony Groves, Akilah DaSilva, Taurean C. Sanderlin, Joe R. Perez, Alyssa Alhadeff, Scott Beigel, Martin Duque Anguiano, Nicholas Dworet, Aaron Feis, Jaime Guttenberg, Chris Hixon, Luke Hoyer, Cara Loughran, Gina Montalto, Joaquin Oliver, Alaina Petty, Meadow Pollack, Helena Ramsay, Alex Schachter, Carmen Schentrup, Peter Wang, William Porterfield, Chelsie Cline, Seth Cline, Michelle Iris McFadyen, Danny Lee Elliot, Diana Lee Steele, Joseph Edward McHugh III, Barbara Ann Gibson, Sara Johnson, Dennis Johnson, Lula White, Annabelle Pomeroy, Haley Krueger, Noah Holcombe, Jenni Holcombe, Danny Holcombe, Tara Elyse McNulty, Bryan Holcombe, Karla Holcombe, Megan Hill, Crystal Holcombe, Emily Hill, Greg Hill, Richard Rodriguez, Theresa Rodriguez, Robert Corrigan, Shani Corrigan, Joann Ward, Brooke Ward, Emily Garza, Karen Marshall, Robert Scott Marshall, Peggy Lynn Warden, Keith Allen Braden, Hannah Ahlers, Heather Alvarado, Dorene Anderson, Carrie Barnette, Jack Beaton, Steve Berger, Candice Bowers, Denise Burditus, Sandy Casey, Andrea Castilla, Denise Cohen, Austin Davis, Thomas Day Jr., Christiana Duarte, Stacee Etcheber, Brian Fraser, Keri Galvan, Dana Gardner, Angela Gomez, Rocio Guillen Rocha, Charleston Hartfield, Chris Hazencomb, Jennifer Topaz Irvine, Teresa Nicol Kimura, Jessica Klymchuk, Carly Kreibaum, Rhonda LeRocque, Victor Link, Jordan Mclldoon, Kelsey Meadows, Calla-Marie Medig, James “Sonny” Melton, Patricia Mestas, Austin Meyer, Adrian Murfitt, Rachael Parker, Jenny Parks, Carrie Parsons, Lisa Patterson, John Phippen, Melissa Ramirez, Jordyn Rivera, Quinton Robbins, Cameron Robinson, Tara Roe, Lisa Romero-Muniz, Chris Roybal, Brett Schwanbeck, Bailey Schweitzer, Laura Shipp, Erick Silva, Susan Smith, Brennan Stewart, Derrick “Bo” Taylor, Neysa Tonks, Michelle Vo, Kurt von Tillow, Bill Wolfe, Maria “Brenda” Rosita Gallegos, Brendon Herrera, Max Trujillo, Michael Alan Kyte, Manuel Serrano, Robert Snyder, Brenda Montanez-Crespo, Kevin Clark, Kevin Lawson, Jeffrey Roberts, Dianne Look, Karen Barclay, Sara Quirt Sann, Jason Weiland, Edward Johnson, Kevin Johnson, Jerrandan Allen, Gabriel Townsend, Mary Louise Amzibel, Shirley Timmons, Terry Andres, Olga Woltering, Michael Oehme, Sarai Lara, Chuck Eagan, Belinda Galde, Beatrice Dotson, Shayla Martin, Lorne Ahrens, Michael Krol, Michael Smith, Brent Thompson, Patricio “Patrick” Zamarripa, Stanley Almodovar III, Amanda Alvear, Oscar A. Aracena-Montero, Rodolfo Ayala-Ayala, Alejandro Barrios Martinez, Antonio D. Brown, Darryl R. Burt II, Jonathan A. Camuy Vega, Angel L. Candelario-Padro, Simon A. Carrillo Fernandez, Juan Chevez-Martinez, Luis D. Conde, Cory J. Connell, Tevin E. Crosby, Franky J. Dejesus Velazquez, Deonka D. Drayton, Mercedez M. Flores, Peter O. Gonzalez-Cruz, Juan R. Guerrero, Paul T. Henry, Frank Hernandez, Miguel A. Honorato, Javier Jorge-Reyes, Jason B. Josaphat, Eddie J. Justice, Anthony L. Laureano Disla, Christopher A. Leinonen, Brenda L. Marquez McCool, Jean C. Mendez Perez, Akyra Monet Murray, Kimberly Morris, Jean C. Nieves Rodriguez, Luis O. Osasio-Capo, Geraldo A. Ortiz-Jimenez, Eric Ivan Ortiz-Rivera, Joel Rayon Paniagua, Enrique L. Rios Jr., Juan P. Rivera Velazquez, Yilmary Rodriguez Solivan, Christopher J. Sanfeliz, Xavier Emmanuel Serrano Rosado, Gilberto Ramon Silva Menendez, Edward Sotomayor Jr., Shane E. Tomlinson, Leroy Valentin Fernandez, Luis S. Velma, Luis Daniel Wilson-Leon, Jerald A. Wright, Tyler D. Smith, Richard E. Smith, Mary Jo Nye, Mary Lou Nye, Dorothy Brown, Barbara Hawthorne, Robert Adams, Isaac Amanios, Bennetta Betbadal, Harry Bowman, Sierra Clayborn, Juan Espinoza, Aurora Godoy, Shannon Johnson, Larry Daniel Kaufman, Damian Meina, Tin Nguyen, Nicholas Thalasinos, Yvette Velasco, Michael Wetzel, Thomas Kamp, Nathan Kamp, Austin Kamp, Carina Kamp, Hannah Johnson, Kade Johnson, Carl Johnson, Lucero Alcaraz, Treven Taylor Anspach, Rebecka Ann Carnes, Quinn Glen Cooper, Kim Saltmarsh Dietz, Lucas Eibel, Jason Dale Johnson, Lawrence Levine, Sarena Dawn Moore, Daniel M. Ferguson, Timothy W. Owens, Carlos A. Lazaney-Rodriguez, Cynthia Marie Graham Hurd, Susie Jackson, Ethel Lee Lance, Depayne Middleton-Doctor, Clementa C. Pinckney, Tywanza Sanders, Daniel Simmons, Sharonda Coleman-Singleton, Myra Thompson, Zoe Galasso, Gia Soriano, Shaylee Chuckulnaskit, Andrew Fryberg, George Chen, Cheng Yuan Hong, Weihan Wang, Katherine Breann Cooper, Christopher Ross Michaels-Martinez, Veronika Elizabeth Weiss, Rurik Davis, Angel Penn, Glenn Calonicco, Shelia Lynn Russo, Italo Pisciotti, Camira Pisciotti, Carlos Javier Gavilanes, Patricio Simono. Merly Niebles, Priscilla Perez, Samir Zawahri, Christopher Zawahri, Carlos Navarro Franco, Marcela Dia Franco, Margarita Gomez, Justine Baez, Ceasar Valdovinos, Roland Scobee, Michael Ransear, Harry Montgomery, Thomas Stefka, Michael Remshaw, Charlotte Bacon, Daniel Barden, Rachel D’Avino, Olivia Engel, Josephine Gay, Dylan Hockley, Dawn Lafferty Hochsprung, Madeleine Hsu, Catherine Hubbard, Chase Kowalski, Jesse Lewis, Ana Marquez-Greene, James Mattioli, Grace McDonnell, Anne Marie Murphy, Emilie Parker, Jack Pinto, Noah Pozner, Caroline Previdi, Jessica Rekos, Avielle Richman, Lauren Rousseau, Mary Sherlach, Victoria Soto, Benjamin Wheeler, Allison Wyatt, Reuven Rahamim, Keith Basinski, Rami Cooks, Ronald Edberg, Jacob Beneke, Eric Rivers, Paramjit Kaur, Satwant Singh Kaleka, Prakash Singh, Sita Singh, Ranjit Singh, Suveg Singh, Jonathan Blunk, Alexander J. Boik, Jesse Childress, Gordon Cowden, Jessica Ghawi, John Larimer, Matt McQuinn, Micayla Medek, Veronica Moser-Sullivan, Alex Sullivan, Alexander C. Teves, Rebecca Wingo, Joseph “Meshuguna Joe” Albanese, Andrew “Schmootzi the Clod” Keriakedes, Kimberly Lynn Layfield, Donald Largen, Gloria Leonidas, Tshering Rinzing Bhutia, Doris Chibuko, Sonam Chodon, Grace Eunhae Kim, Katleen Ping, Judith Seymour, Lydia Sim, Kum Hi Song, Byong Ok Kang, Kum Sook Kim, Tae Yol Kim, Victoria Buzzo, David Caouette, Randy Lee Fannin, Michele Daschbach, Michelle Marie Fournier, Lucia Bernice Kondas, Laura Webb, Christy Lynn Wilson, Florence Donovan-Gunderson, NV National Guard Major Heath Kelly, NV National Guard SFC Miranda McElhiney, NV National Guard SFC Christian Riege, Trini Do, Lynn Ta, Michelle Ta, Hien Ta, Thuy Nguyen, Christina-Taylor Green, Dorothy “Dot” Morris, John Roll, Phyllis Schneck, Dorwan Stoddard, Gabriel “Gabe” Zimmerman, Demario Vass, Danyell Mackin, Shawnita McNeil, Tiffany Wilhite, Willie McMaa III, Francis Fazio Jr., Douglas Scruton, Edwin Kennison, William Ackerman, Bryan Cirigliano, Craig Pepin, Louis Felder, Victor James, Liazan Molina, Maysel Figueroa, Lavina Fonseca, Zaida Castillo, Vardan Tofalyan, Harut Baburyan, Hayk Yegnanyan, Sarkis Karadjian, Sgt Mark Renninger, Officer Roland Owens, Officer Tina Griswold, Officer Greg Richards, Michael Grant Cahill, Maj Libardo Eduardo Caraveo, SSG Justin Michael DeCrow, Cpt John P. Gaffaney, Spc Frederick Green, Spc Jason Dean Hunt, SSG Amy Sue Krueger, PFC Aaron Thomas Nemelka, PFC Michael S. Pearson, Cpt Russell Gilbert Seager, PFC Francheska Velez, LTC Juanita L. Warman, PFC Kham See Xiong, Parveen Ali, Almir Olimpio Alves, Marc Henry Bernard, Maria Sonia Bernard, Li Guo, Lan Ho, Layla Khalil, Roberta King, Jiang Ling, Hong Xiu “Amy” Mao Marsland, Dolores Yigal, Hai Hong Zhong, Maria Zobniw, Jerry Avant Jr., Louise Dekler, Lillian Dunn, Tessie Garner, John Walter Goldston, Bessie Hedrick, Margaret Johnson, Jesse Vernon Musser, Charter Rose, Anne Jackson, Julia Binschus, David Radcliffe, Greg Gillum, Leroy Lange, Joshua Hinojosa, Trisha Mirelez, Israel Monroy, Kevin G. Taylor, Rachael Vasquez, Robert Leeds, Terry Majan, Dave Duboise, Ricardo Leal, Catalina Garcia, Julianna Gehant, Ryanne Mace, Daniel Parmenter, Gayle Dubowski, Officer Tom Ballman, Kenneth Yost, Mayor Mike Swoboda, Michael H. T. Lynch, Connie Karr, Todd Smith, Officer William Biggs, Tiffany Johnson, Philip Crouse, Dan Griebenow, Charlie Blanch, Stephanie Works, Rachel Works, Beverly Flynn, Janet Jorgensen, Gary Joy, John McDonald, Gary Scharf, Angie Schuster, Dianne Trent, Maggie Webb, Jordanne Michele Murray, Katrina Lee McCorkle, Lianna Faye Thomas, Bradley Steven Schultz, Aaron Edward Smith, Lindsey Lou Stahl, Jamie Bishop, Jocelyne Couture-Nowak, Kevin Granata, Liviu Librescu, G. V. Loganathan, Ross Alameddine, Brian Bluhm, Ryan Clark, Austin Cloyd, Daniel Perez Cueva, Matthew Gwaltney, Caitlin Hammaren, Jeremy Herbstritt, Rachael Hill, Emily Hilscher, Matthew La Porte, Jarrett Lane, Henry Lee, Partahi Lumbantoruan, Lauren McCain, Daniel O’Neil, Juan Ortiz, Minal Panchal, Erin Peterson, Michael Pohle Jr., Julia Pryde, Mary Karen Read, Reema Samaha, Waleed Shaalan, Leslie Sherman, Maxine Turner, Nicole White, Jeffrey Walker, Vanessa Quinn, Brad Frantz, Kirsten Hinckley, Teresa Ellis, Naomi Rose Ebersol, Marian Stoltzfus Fisher, Anna Mae Stoltzfus, Lena Zook Miller, Mary Liz Miller, Erica Bell, Leonard Howard, Gloria Howard, Darlene Selvage, Doloris McGrew, Melissa Moore, Suzanne Thorne, Justin “Sushi” Schwartz, Christopher Deacon Williamson, Jeremy Martin, Jason Travers, Beverly Graham, Ze Fairchild, Maleka Higgins, Nicola Grant, Charlotte Colton, Lupe Schwartz, Dexter Shannon, Wes Brown, James Armstrong, Ceri Litterio, Holly Love Brown, Officer Daryl Allen Lussier, Michelle Leigh Sigana, Derrick Brian Brun, Neva Jane Wynkoop-Rogers, Alicia Alberta White, Thurlene Marie Stillday, Chanelle Star Rosebear, Chase Albert Lussier, Dewayne Michael Lewis, Pastor Randy Gregory, James Gregory, Harold Diekmeier, Gloria Critari, Bart Oliver, Richard Reeves, Gerald Miller, Judge Rowland Barnes, Julie Brandau, Hoyt Teasley, David Wilhelm, Dimebag Darrell, Jeffrey “Mayhem” Thompson, Nathan Bray, Erin Halk, Robert Crotteau, Joey Crotteau, Alan Laski, Mark Roidt, Jessica Willers, Denny Drew, Leonardo Rodriquez, Lonnie Ellenberg, Travis Nelson, Ardell Edwards, Unnamed Mexican National, Tiki Danielle Wiese, Leroy Wiese, Chester Cavaliere, Henry Shumake, Alan Weiner, Howard Weiner, Daniel Weiner, Calvin Ramsey, Robert Taylor, Juan Valles, DeLois Bailey, Sam Cockrell, Micky Fitzgerald, Lynette McCall, Charles J. Miller, Thomas Willis, Billy Knox Jr., Billy Knox Sr., Benjamin Ferguson, David Seiler, Craig Schafer, John Contadeluci, Dave Arpasi, Robert Downs Jr., George Bernardino, Marsha Jackson, Nina Susu, Nikolay Popovich, John Derek Glimstad, Angelica Toscano, Juan Manual Hernandez-Carrillo, Melquiades Medrano-Velasquez, Juan Carlos Medrano-Velasquez, Daniel Dorsch, Robert Wehrheim, Michael Brus, William Garcia, Craig Wood, Janice Haggerty, Jennifer Bragg Capobianco, Cheryl Troy, Rose Manfredi, Louis Javelle, Paul Marceau, Anita “Nicki” Gordon, Theo Pham, Ji-ye Sun, Anil Thakur, Garry Lee, Dennis Lee, Rhoda Wheeler, Augustine Villasenor, Eric Pedroso, Barbara Carter, Jose R. Aguilar, George C. Jones, Dolores Perdomo, Jason Balatico, Ford Kanehira, Ronald Kataoka, Ronald Kawamae, Melvin Lee, Peter Mark, John Sakamoto, Kristi Beckel, Shawn C. Brown, Sydney R. Browning, Joseph D. Ennis, Cassandra Griffin, Susan Kimberly Jones, Justin Stegner Ray, Leigh Ann Vandiver Barton, Matthew David Barton, Mychelle Elizabeth Barton, Allen Charles Tenenbaum, Dean Delawalla, Joseph J. Dessert, Jamshid Havash, Vadewattee Muralidhara, Edward Quinn, Kevin Dial, Russell J. Brown, Scott A. Webb, Thomas Michael Darnell, Carlos “Chuck” Leos, Dennis Troy Sargent, Lucille Tarantino, Rachel Scott, Daniel Rohrbough, William David Sanders, Kyle Velasquez, Steven Curnow, Cassie Bernall, Isaiah Shoels, Matthew Kechter, Lauren Townsend, John Tomlin, Kelly Fleming, Daniel Mauser, Corey DePooter, Carla Vessel Miller, Shon Miller, Jr., Mildred Vessel, Vaniaro Jackson, William Kinkel, Faith Kinkel, Mikael Nicholauson, Ben Walker, Natalie Brooks, Paige Ann Armstrong, Stephanie Johnson, Brittheny Rachel Varner, Shannon Wright, Michael Logan, Linda Mlynarczyk, Frederick Rubelmann III, Otho Brown, Hal B. Bierlein, Wayne Bowers, Michael Kelly, Paul White, David Moore, Esther Sheryl Wood, Charles Griffith, Ernest L. Filyaw, Scott Phillips, Les Lord, Vickie Bunnell, Dennis Joos, Glenda Washington Tornes, Captain Stan Adams, District Chief Dwight Craft, Captain Merideth Moree, District Chief Rick Robbins, Joseph Timothy Clifford, Joseph Belotto, Kenneth A. Brunjes, Mark A. Bretz, Donald Leroy Moon, Maria Carrasquillo, Ricardo Gonzalez, Rafael Gonzalez, Kwong Bae, Henry W. Lucero Inga, James Walton, Tony Gain, Neil Carpenter, Marty Wakefield, Walter Rossler, Joann Rossler, Richard Lee Tomlinson, Derek Harrison, Patty J. “Wendy” Brunson GIlmore, Thomas E. Brigham, Alan W. London, Anita L. Lindner, Christin F. McCarron, Colleen O’Connor, Benjamin Grant, Sylvia Crowll, Marge Kohlberg, Amy Federici, James Gorycki, Maria Theresa Tumangan Magtoto, Dennis McCarthy, Richard Nettleton, Mi Kyung Kim, Anna Velasco, Richard Bateman, Phillip Villegas, James Edward O’Brien, Charles Tucker, Laxmi Patel, Helen-Mary Spatz, Rebecca Negretti, Wesley Cover, James Kidd, Ethel Parrous, Pete Parrous, Ronald R. Johnson, William Massey, Stacey Cooksey, Reta Hobart, Thomas Hobart, Jr., Shirley Mooser, Allen J. Berk, Donald Mike Merrill, Jack Berman, Deborah Fogel, Jody Jones Sposato, David Sutcliffe, John Scully, Norm Metcalf, Danny Cizek, Andrew Zatko, David Law, Kris Staub, Joe Garcia, Phyllis Caslin, Florence A. Pike, Nancy J. Wheeler, Denise M. Van Amburg, Robert Brens, Beamon A. Hill, Judy Davis, Jason Edward White, Christopher Carlisle, Mary Benincasa, Keith Cszewsk, Rose Proos, Donna Daigneau, Palmer Rousey, Fred Alsman, Jr., Thomas Bannister, Professor Christoph K. Goertz, Chairman Dwight R. Nicholson, Robert Alan Smith, Linhua Shan, T. Anne Cleary, Patricia Carney, Jimmie Caruthers, Kriemhild Davis, Steven Dody, Al Gratia, Ursua Gratia, Debra Gray, Michael Griffith, Venice Henehan, Clodine Humphrey, Sylvia King, Zona Lynn, Connie Peterson, Ruth Pujol, Su-Zann Rashott, John Romero, Jr., Thomas Simmons, Glen Arval Spivey, Nancy Stansbury, Olgica Taylor James Welsh, Lula Welsh, Juanita Williams, Carol Ott, Cornelius Kasten, Jr., Joseph M. VanderPaauw, Donald McNaught, Louis Carl Bacon, Doretta Drake, Julia White Burgess, Drew Woods, Cynthia L. Perry, Barbara Duckwall Holland, Janice David, Sharon Louise Hall, Jewell Belote, Lee Simonton, Denise Sapp Highfill, Richard O. Barger, Kenneth Fentress, William Ganote, James G. Husband, Sharon L. L. Needy, Paul Sallee, Lloyd White, James F. Wible, Sr., Raphanar Or, Ram Chun, Thuy Tran, Sokhim An, Oeun Lim, John Van Dyke, Robert Quinn, Arthur Baker, Irma Ruiz, Crystal Cantrell, Tom Nicholson, Melinda Hayes, Ronnie Hull, Lawrence J. Kane, Wayne “Buddy” Williams, Jr., Ronald G. Doney, Joseph Lawrence Silva, Glenda Moritz, Ronald Steven Reed, Helen Lamparter, Emad Mohamiad Al-Tawakuly, Nabil Abdul Al-Hameli, Officer Gerald Douglas Johnson, Officer Ronald Midgely Grogan, Ruth Greene, Lester Watson, Patricia Ann Chambers, Judy Stephens, Richard C. Esser, Patricia A. Gabbard, Jonna Gragert, Patty Jean Husband, Betty Ann Jarred, William F. Miller, Kenneth W. Morey, Leroy Orrin Phillips, Jerry Ralph Pylr, Paul Michael Rockne, Thomas Wade Shader, Jr., Patti Lou Welch, Donald Abbot, Paul Gabelt, John Coligan, Ralph Tomaro, Juanita Allen, Helen Frazee, James F. Stephens, Tom Altringer, Neva Denise Caine, Elsa Herlinda Borboa-Firro, Paulina Aquino Lopez, Margarita Padilla, Michelle Deanne Carncross, Maria Elena Colmenero-Silva, David Flores Delgado, Gloria Lopez Gonzalez, Omar Alonso Hernandez, Blythe Regan Herrera, Matao Herrera, Claudia Perez, Jose Ruben Lozano Perez, Carlos Reyes, Jackie Lynn Wright Reyes, Victor Maxmillian Rivera, Arisdelsi Vuelvas Vargas, Hugo Luis Velazquez Vasquez, Laurence Herman “Gus” Versluis, Aida Velazquez Victoria, Miguel Victoria-Ulloa, Marcelle Ford, Frank Parker, Joseph Minasi, Janice Smith, Linda Lowe, Ligia Kozlowski, Fred Burk, Albert Hagen, Joyce Klein, Lyman Klein, Marshall Klein, Dale Madajski, Larry Joe McVey, Roger Culp, Troy L. Duncan, Maxine Edwards, Harley King, Les Hegland, Flo Hegland, Tim Nash, Amy Nash, Mark Coulthurst, Irene Coulthurst, Kimberly Coulthurst, John Coulthurst, Chris Heyman Keown Stewart, Moon Stewart, Mike Stewart, Nelson Barrios, Lonie Jeffries, Carl Lee, Ernestine Moore, Mangum Moore, Martha Steelman, Juan Ramon Trespalacios, Pedro Vasques, Dave Bahl, Wyvonne Kohler, Martin Douglas Moran, Moody Charles Smith, Rick Svoboda, Eddie Eugene Ulrich, Joseph Kimler, Vern Sylvester, Sabrina Imlach, Rebecca Phillips, Rufus Hamilton, Roger Hatfield, Roger Click, Garvy Hamilton, Michael Halbert, Lori J. Cunningham, John W. Cooper, Robert E. Hamblin, Allen L. Wilcox, Dennis Scharf, Lois Sima, Joseph Olinger, Andrew Price, Dorothy Glaser, Gene Candy, Mary Regina Linam, James Y. McDaniel, Thelma Richardson, Kenneth Truitt, Randy Wayne, Kathleen Lynn Austin, Marianne Laweka, Jana L. Carpenter, Fredrick Bergford, Danny Linn, John D. O’Dell, Robert Lee, Dorothy Johnson, Dorothy Johnson’s unborn child, Cecila G. Bagity, David Galvin, Robert Visconti, William Nagel, Jeffrey L. Gianquitti, Stephen Werner, Gary Lee Anderson, Michael Gene Mortenson, Robert Dale Seater, Carol Ann Seater, James L. Trueman, Andrew Lane Walker, Joseph Hicks, Frederick Holmes, James Green, Pariyarathu Varghese, Officer Allen McLeod, Seth Fessenden, Stephen L. Becker, Paul F. Herzberg, Bruce A. Jacobson, Donald Aarges, Frank Teplansky, Ella Beem, Percy Harmon, Barbara Harmon, Gordon Knott, Shirley Knott, Dr. Robert Steagall, Betty Steagall, Frank Schneider, Cadet Alfred Harrell, Officer Edwin Hosli, Sr., Walter Collins, Officer Phillip Coleman, Officer Paul Persigo, Louis Sirgo, Joseph Boyd, Robert Bartone, Joseph A. DePalma, Theodore G. Hall, Charles Merkel, Stephen B. Robinson, Melvin D. Harrison, James G. Henry, Jessie B. West, Jacquelyn Wharton, Patricia Chromik, Sandra Peters, Linda Willis, Mary Ann Reinisch, Ignatius Keenan, Ruby Keenan, Annette Lambright, Vincent Saitta, Vienna Gustafson, Raymond Hautala, Sally Johnson, Rudolph Maurin, Helvi Puisto, Katherine Rigoni, Daniel E. Weiss, Allen Barrett, Jr., Richard Davenport, Donald V. Walden, Carmen H. Edwards, Elmer Weaver, Floyd Quiggle, Joyce Sellers, Debbie Sellers, Glenda Carter, Mary Olsen, Carol Farmer, Margaret Whitman, Kathy Whitman, Edna Townsley, Mark Gabour, Marguerite Lamport, Paul Sonntag, Claudia Rutt, Roy Dell Schmidt, Thomas Aquinas Ashton, Thomas Eckmann, Baby Boy Wilson (unborn), Thomas Karr, Karen Griffith, Doctor Robert Boyer, Harry Walchuk, and Billy Speed.

(Sources: Washington Post; Murderpedia; Amok; NY Times)

I typed their names out one by one because I needed to understand what that number means. Copying and pasting wouldn’t have accomplished that honorably. I can’t ask others to understand what this information means if I don’t truly understand the gravity of it myself. If you’re wondering, 185 of those names are children and babies. I had to update this list three times in the process of writing it. I had to add 18 more names before I was done.

I want everyone who reads this to understand that each one of those names was a person, and those people all had lives as complex as our own. They got stuck in traffic, went to the movies with people they loved, spent too much of their paychecks on junk food, took vacations in places you and I love, hated things, loved things, laughed, cried, celebrated, and mourned. They all have one thing in common though. They all died because we are a country that can’t get our shit together. Not only regarding gun regulations but with mental health care, with teaching boys that it’s okay to feel things, and with how we all treat each other. When will we love each other and ourselves more than we love our guns? These people all had families and friends and hopes and plans. They come from every background and life path that you can possibly imagine. Gun violence doesn’t see race, gender, religion, or class. It doesn’t even see a difference between children and adults. No one is going to do this for us. We have to take a look at ourselves and decide that enough is enough. Until then, I’ll have to keep adding names to the top of the list.

It will keep happening as long as we allow it.