This weekend, in the West Side of Chicago there were many shootings. Supposedly these were gang-related. These tragic gunfires resulted in the death of four people, leaving others wounded. A woman was shot and left in a trash can, and a nine-year-old boy was also shot. The young boy was in a car and was accidentally struck by a bullet during the crossfire. Guns are too easily put in the wrong hands, and everyday lives are unnecessarily lost to gun violence.

Also this week, Tampa Mayor Bob Buckhorn made insensitive and crude remarks regarding guns. At the Special Operations Forces Industry conference, Mayor Buckhorn joked about how journalists “cri[ed] like little girls” when he shot a .50-caliber machine gun during a Florida military show last year. Public figures’, such as Mayor Buckhorns, sexist and aloof comments regarding gun usage is not okay. These small acts, such as Buckhorns’ casual jokes about guns, normalize gun usage and can lead to subsequent violence.

Groups, such as Moms Demand Action, have been fearlessly fighting against the NRA’s agenda. On May 13, MDA tweeted that, “The South Carolina legislative session is over and, despite the gun lobby’s bests efforts, no dangerous gun bills passed!” Organizations such as MDA are crucial to fight against well-funded gun lobby groups’ legislative authority.

One of the videos we were required to watch for class resonated with my topic of gun violence. The video is called, “This teacher remembers her Muslim students who were murdered in a shooting.” This Upworthy video thoughtfully remembers the lives of three Muslim students who were murdered in North Carolina, and in this video we hear from one of the gun victims herself. In an interview with StoryCorps recorded before she was murdered, Yusor recounts how blessed she feels to grow up in America. Stories such as Yusors, remind us to take legislative action and to act to end gun violence in the U.S.

Just two days ago, Jordan Edwards was fatally shot by a local Dallas policeman. Edwards was leaving a house party and was in a car reversing. Officer Oliver shot the 15-year-old black teenager as he was reversing his car because allegedly Edwards did so in a “hostile” fashion. This tragedy has fueled Black Lives Matter protests because Jordan’s death was senseless and the officer committed a grossly out of line offense. The “Justice for Jordan” movement also has relations to my topic of gun safety. Although Officer Oliver could legally operate a gun, clearly much more police training on how to use a gun must happen. The Second Amendment right to bear arms comes with enormous responsibility. More thorough police training on when an officer should even reach for a gun is in order. Additionally, despite fervent protests such as the one on University of Georgia’s campus this week, Governor Deal of GA signed House Bill 280. This bill, with few exceptions, allows concealed carry of licensed guns on public campuses.

The Edwards shooting relates to our Habermas reading concerning the public sphere. Habermas lays out that a signifier of a public sphere is the ability of members to unite and discuss urgent issues affecting the community at large and not just pursue self-interest. The Dallas police chief, David Brown, has openly said that Jordan Edward’s death was completely unwarranted and unprovoked. By admitting that Jordan was not posing any threat to Officer Oliver when he was unjustly murdered, the Dallas police chief (one could argue) is working towards the overall good of the community not just personal interest. From a Public Relations standpoint Jordan’s death reflects horribly on Chief Brown since Brown heads the station that is responsible for robbing a teenager of his life. However, Chief Brown is working towards the public good of seeking justice for Jordan by firing Officer Oliver and admitting that the police was at fault in this tragic event. Although Chief Brown’s actions in no way bring back Jordan or compensate for his life, one could contend (following Habermas’ logic) that Brown is attempting to pursue the public good by taking full blame for the calamity.