There Have Been Over 600 Mass Shootings In U.S. This Year

Another mass shooting is making national news. This time it's a shooting in a Colorado LGBTQ club. A 22-year-old man entered the club with a long gun and started shooting. Five people were killed and 18 wounded before some of the club's customers disarmed and apprehended him.

There have been at least 601 mass shootings in the United States this year. Most of them never make the national news, but that doesn't make them any less serious. And there are about six weeks to go in this year. Averaging nearly two mass shootings a day, it looks like the country is on track to set another record -- and it's not a record to be proud of.

Congress passed a gun law earlier in the year, but it was not an effective law, and it has not slowed the number of mass shootings or gun deaths. The only thing it accomplished was to allow legislators to pat themselves on the back. They still refuse (especially the Republican legislators) to pass any laws that would have a real effect on gun violence in the country.

The crazy part is that there is something supported by 80-90% of the population (including most gun owners) that would have an effect -- closing the loopholes in the background check law. Sadly, too many legislators don't care what the public wants. They have decided that allowing criminals easy access to buying a gun is more important than saving American lives.

Republicans want to blame things other than guns for the problem -- mental illness, video games, etc.

But other developed nations have the same problems they are listing, and none of them have the same gun violence problem. It's time to admit that the problem is the easy access to guns by anyone in the country is the real problem. There are dangerous people who should not be allowed to legally buy a gun.

How much longer are we going to put up with the problem of unnecessary gun violence?