On May 26, as the Democrat Party prepared to push for the Domestic Terrorism Bill which would open up debates on gun control, the whole Republican Party struck down the vote. The Domestic Terrorism Bill, also known as the Domestic Terrorism Prevention Act, aimed at preventing domestic terrorism attacks and combating white supremacy.

Here’s why the strike down is an issue.

It is no joke that the U.S. has a huge problem with white supremacy and mass shootings. White supremacy propaganda has been on the rise since 2020. Ever since officials in California reported on an incident where a rented truck filled with antisemetic messages and racist remarks was found in West Hollywood.

On May 14, an 18-year-old gunman killed 10 people at a supermarket in Buffalo, New York. The shooter left behind a manifesto which detailed a conspiracy theory called The Great Replacement, a false ideal believed by white supremacists that people of color are being pushed to “replace” white people in the U.S.

False ideals and beliefs are part of the main reason for mass shootings. While some may argue that we have a mental health issue, others will argue that we have a gun issue. Both claims are valid but are not a real excuse for the continuous mass shooting we’re currently facing.

The Domestic Terrorism Bill, if passed, would have opened up the floor for debate on gun control.

In a day and age where children and adults risk the chance of finding themselves in a situation where a shooter can walk in at any time, our politicians need to understand that we the people are demanding a change.

Our children deserve to live in a safe world instead of wondering when the next shooting will occur and if they will be next. They should not have to grow up learning what to do in case of an active shooter. They should be focused on just being kids and leaving the worry to the adults.

What these politicians are ignoring is that the mass majority of the public are tired of their continuous “thoughts and prayers.” We don’t need any of that because that is already too late. What we need is a change that prevents it from happening.

For hard-core Second Amendment gun owners, the thought of gun control scares them. They believe that stricter gun control will mean that the government will forcibly take away their guns. That’s not the point. Stricter gun control simply means more tougher background checks.

The Domestic Terrorism Bill would also create more safety in preventing domestic terrorists attacks. The U.S. is no stranger to such attacks, California had one happen in San Bernardino in 2012.

What exactly defines a mass shooting as a domestic terrorism attack?

Under federal law, a domestic terrorism attack is refered to any violent or dangerous crimes to human life, appear or intended to intimidate or coerce a civilian population or influence the policy of a government by intimidation or affect the conduct of a government by mass destruction, assassintion or kidnapping.

The shooting in Buffalo, New York, was labeled as a domestic terrorist attack by President Biden, after his visit to the scene of the shooting.

Hate crimes also fall into this category as most shooters who were captured alive or left behind a reason usually highlight their hatred for certain groups, individuals or government.

With all these mass shootings, we need to have an open discussion about gun control. In schools, we write and often debate on gun control but I’m tired of having to constantly read about the lack of progress on stricter gun control. Mass shooting is a very huge problem in the U.S., people are being injured and killed.

Stricter gun control won’t take away anyone’s guns away, the government doesn’t want or need people’s guns. The general public is growing more and more frustrated with every setback made in the Congress.

Mass shootings should not be an everyday thing and we should not begin to feel numb or view this as something normal. We need to protect our children and if doing that means stricter gun control or for the Senate to pass the Domestic Terrorism Prevention Act then please do it.

No more victims.