Gun Control: The Forgotten Campaign Issue of 2016

Gun Control: The Forgotten Campaign Issue of 2016
by Brian Thomas Armstrong

In the first presidential debate last Sept, it would have been a perfect platform for the candidates to convince an American public they care about gun violence to a growingly apathetic and increasingly numb to weekly mass shootings and random gun violence public, by assuring them and calming their fears with a comprehensive plan of action to reverse this deadly U.S. trend. Unfortunately, both candidates totally failed to do so; intentionally or otherwise. Trump mentioned an epidemic of gun violence in young African American men. How both candidates feel that criminals should not have guns was also brought up – Well, no Du! And also mentioned was a dash of reason in an increasingly unreasonable world – The fact that suspected terrorists shouldn’t be able to legally buy assault rifles in the United States. But, the actual word “Gun Control” was strategically avoided by both candidates.

In the second presidential debate that happened on Oct 9th, crass language and the past sexual discretion’s of Donald and Bill were at the top of the nation’s pressing campaign issues of the new millennium. Washington University town-hall second debate comments on gun violence: We need to close the gun show loopholes – How many years have we been hearing that? Clinton brings up violence at Trump rallies, and then effectively ends the debate on gun violence and control with no further plans or even some solutions to offer. Trump brings up inner-city violence in Chicago again, basically giving a wink in the black voter’s direction in another lame attempt to get any voters of color to support him this coming November.

It seems that any real issues that need to be addressed in the 2016 presidential election will be overshadowed by which candidate is going to be viewed as the most crooked, rude, crude, and selfishly untrustworthy candidate by the American people on November 8th. Eighty-nine percent of us have already made up our minds already – now it’s up to the other 11% to jump on the bandwagon and sum up the issues for themselves, something that neither presidential contender so far has seemed to not have the time to face the tough hard issues that are facing us, threatening our individual rights, and dividing us as a people, let alone a nation.

No one ever anticipated how bizarre and contentious this election was going to steer towards. How could they; it is totally unprecedented in the history of American politics. Unfortunately for us all, it has also turned UN-presidential in its current national presentation. There is no doubt that a future generation of Americans will be studying this election for decades, if not centuries in school; categorizing what went drastically wrong with each controlling parties nomination for president in 2016. Let's hope that our youth in the future also figure out a way to make sure that an election like the one we are facing now, with only a few more weeks left until Election Day – Never ever happens in American political history again.