Another act of gun violence struck Nashville after a shooting at Antioch High School on Wednesday.
I saw a headline about the shooting while I passively scrolled on my computer during class, and I didn’t think much of it.
Then, the wave of Instagram stories preaching for gun reform flooded my feed.
It was just another day for me.
In truth, I’ve become desensitized to these tragic reports because of how often they occur.
But it doesn’t lessen the impact and heartbreak they cause.
Any words on the matter serve as a double-edged sword.
“The fear reverberating around the Antioch and Nashville communities today is a chilling reminder of the human cost of political inaction and the senseless tragedy of gun violence perpetuated by leaders who have prioritized firearms and the profits of the gun industry over the lives of our students,” said Tennessee State Representative Justin Jones in a statement.
If no one speaks out against gun violence, then no reform will come.
But it’s the repetition of saying the same sentiments after a school shooting that makes them seem normal.
The more this cycle is repeated, the less weight the words said carry. Who would sit down and read sorrowful paragraphs over and over again when they all say the same things?
They’re easier to scroll by.
I realize this has the same effect as an activist Instagram story.
My words mean no more than anyone else’s because of a published format; this is simply where I prefer to use my voice.
In this period of grief, I can only process my thoughts in writing to fully grasp that on Wednesday, people lost their lives while other lives changed forever.
These circumstances are not normal.
These people deserve to be remembered for who they were, not reduced to numbers for gun reform.
These events should not be normalized.
So why does it seem like each time these events happen the more things stay the same?
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This column was written by Ria Skyer
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