In the wake of the Parkland school shooting in Florida, major retailers Walmart and Dick’s Sporting Goods announced they would no longer be selling assault-style rifles, and the minimum age to purchase a gun at their stores would be raised from 18 to 21. Walmart referenced the shooting in a statement posted on their website, stating “our heritage as a company has always been in serving sportsmen and hunters, and we will continue to do so in a responsible way.” Dick’s utilized their Twitter account to release their own communication, in which they asserted “even as strong supporters of the Second Amendment, we feel now is the time to have a meaningful discussion about common-sense reform with the intent of finding a solution.”

First, it’s important to realize Walmart and Dick’s are acting in their own interests by taking this step. With 66 percent of American voters currently in favor of stricter gun laws, it is not unreasonable to think the PR bonus incurred from their active stance would offset the minority of customers who boycott their stores. That being said, the two retailers are nevertheless making an important statement: a show of good faith to the majority of Americans who want a more active gun control system without threatening anyone’s constitutional rights.

Second, President Trump’s comments on proposed gun control legislation last Wednesday must be lauded. While the future of gun control remains unclear — President Trump has a history of taking erratic positions on long-polarizing issues — if he follows through on just half of his suggestions, it would be more than Democrats could have ever hoped for. Not only did the President reject the NRA’s top legislative priority — concealed-carry reciprocity — he insisted the minimum age to purchase a gun be raised to 21, and even acknowledged how controversial a bill arming teachers would be.

He sounded reasonable! Rational! He may have gone a little too far in suggesting law enforcement be allowed to seize guns from the mentally ill and other dangerous people before going to court, but that is to be expected in the wake of such a traumatic event. If President Trump takes the lead in implementing moderate gun control policies, it might be the catalyst for some real change.

While President Trump is an unlikely hero in the increasingly bitter debate on Capitol Hill, we are faced with an all-too-familiar villain: the NRA.

Their Facebook page boasts over 2 million followers — almost half of the NRA’s total membership. In lieu of making an official statement offering condolences to the victims of the Parkland tragedy, they instead have opted to post statements such as, “To all American gun owners, this is a wakeup call. They’re coming after us” (Feb. 19, 2018), “To all American gun owners, this is a wake-up call. We need your help to fight back” (March 2, 2018) and most distastefully, “ ‘Mass shootings have become the most successful show in the history of the America news media, and the shooters are their stars.’ — NRA’s Colion Noir” (Feb. 22, 2018).

Even more damning was their accusation in another post from Feb. 22, where they claimed that Dana Loesch, representative of the organization, faced chants of “’burn her’” at a CNN town hall — only for no less than a survivor of the shooting to assert the contrary, supported by video evidence.

Is this right? Is this just? Does the NRA feel threatened? We are in the wake of one of the deadliest school shootings in history, and their Facebook post history reads like the ramblings of a horrifically paranoid conspiracy theorist who looks over their shoulder so often that they fail to see the cold, unyielding truth in front of them.

Unlike their twisted perception of the general American populace, the majority absolutely do not wish to infringe on anyone’s rights. We have fought so many battles, shed so much blood, for the sake of the unalienable rights that we hold dear.

However, the victims of the shooting had unalienable rights as well. They had the right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. Rights they were forcibly deprived of.

The Second Amendment grants Americans the right to bear arms for the maintaining of a “well-regulated Militia.” In the words of Diane Wolk-Rogers, an AP world history teacher at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, who attended the funeral of one of her students — “How is an 18-year old with a military rifle well-regulated?”

These events were not directly the fault of any organization or individual — except for the perpetrator, whose name I refuse to mention. But, when an organization like the NRA creates this culture of fear, of paranoia, instilling in its members an “us against the world” mentality, they must take a very long and very hard look at themselves.

First, it’s important to realize Walmart and Dick’s are acting in their own interests by taking this step. With 66 percent of American voters currently in favor of stricter gun laws, it is not unreasonable to think the PR bonus incurred from their active stance would offset the minority of customers who boycott their stores. That being said, the two retailers are nevertheless making an important statement: a show of good faith to the majority of Americans who want a more active gun control system without threatening anyone’s constitutional rights.

Second, President Trump’s comments on proposed gun control legislation last Wednesday must be lauded. While the future of gun control remains unclear — President Trump has a history of taking erratic positions on long-polarizing issues — if he follows through on just half of his suggestions, it would be more than Democrats could have ever hoped for. Not only did the President reject the NRA’s top legislative priority — concealed-carry reciprocity — he insisted the minimum age to purchase a gun be raised to 21, and even acknowledged how controversial a bill arming teachers would be.

He sounded reasonable! Rational! He may have gone a little too far in suggesting law enforcement be allowed to seize guns from the mentally ill and other dangerous people before going to court, but that is to be expected in the wake of such a traumatic event. If President Trump takes the lead in implementing moderate gun control policies, it might be the catalyst for some real change.

While President Trump is an unlikely hero in the increasingly bitter debate on Capitol Hill, we are faced with an all-too-familiar villain: the NRA. 

Their Facebook page boasts over 2 million followers — almost half of the NRA’s total membership. In lieu of making an official statement offering condolences to the victims of the Parkland tragedy, they instead have opted to post statements such as, “To all American gun owners, this is a wakeup call. They’re coming after us” (Feb. 19, 2018), “To all American gun owners, this is a wake-up call. We need your help to fight back” (March 2, 2018) and most distastefully, “ ‘Mass shootings have become the most successful show in the history of the America news media, and the shooters are their stars.’ — NRA’s Colion Noir” (Feb. 22, 2018). 

Even more damning was their accusation in another post from Feb. 22, where they claimed that Dana Loesch, representative of the organization, faced chants of “’burn her’” at a CNN town hall — only for no less than a survivor of the shooting to assert the contrary, supported by video evidence. 

Is this right? Is this just? Does the NRA feel threatened? We are in the wake of one of the deadliest school shootings in history, and their Facebook post history reads like the ramblings of a horrifically paranoid conspiracy theorist who looks over their shoulder so often that they fail to see the cold, unyielding truth in front of them. 

Unlike their twisted perception of the general American populace, the majority absolutely do not wish to infringe on anyone’s rights. We have fought so many battles, shed so much blood, for the sake of the unalienable rights that we hold dear. 

However, the victims of the shooting had unalienable rights as well. They had the right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. Rights they were forcibly deprived of. 

The Second Amendment grants Americans the right to bear arms for the maintaining of a “well-regulated Militia.” In the words of Diane Wolk-Rogers, an AP world history teacher at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, who attended the funeral of one of her students — “How is an 18-year old with a military rifle well-regulated?” 

These events were not directly the fault of any organization or individual — except for the perpetrator, whose name I refuse to mention. But, when an organization like the NRA creates this culture of fear, of paranoia, instilling in its members an “us against the world” mentality, they must take a very long and very hard look at themselves.