Almost anyone can agree that there are three sections of news happening in America right now. There’s whatever is happening in politics, usually surrounding whatever Donald Trump has said this week. A section for the entertainment and pop culture industry which seems to be more problematic as time goes on. And the last section of news that Americans see almost daily is the never-ending cycle of violence that is plaguing this nation.

You can’t turn on the news, go on social media or read a newspaper without being bombarded by the fact that something awful and violent has occurred in America. Sometimes these events seem like a world away because people are removed from these cities by thousands of miles, but as we’ve seen in recent years, no state, city or town is safe from the dramatic and unnecessary violence that is infecting our country. 

We are in the middle of a perpetual state of violence, with no way out. 

In Poway, California, a woman was killed when she placed herself in front of Rabbi Yisroel Goldstein,as a gunman entered the Chabad of Poway Synagogue and opened fire on Saturday, April 27, while people were celebrating the end of Passover. Three people were also wounded.

After the shooting, police arrested a 19-year-old shooter, whose name doesn’t deserve recognition, who is also suspected of writing a lengthy manifesto with references to white supremacy and the recent shootings at places of worship in Pittsburgh and New Zealand.

People who were truly just celebrating the end of Passover with their loved ones were victimized in one of the places they believed were safe. Children who were playing with their friends, people who were mourning the deaths of loved ones and an entire denomination will forever remember the end of one of the holiest holidays turned into a day that destroyed lives. Although there are numerous instances in the United States where people are targeted because of their religion, there is still no reformation to prevent what is happening. 

In West Baltimore, Maryland, one person was killed and at least seven more were injured when a gunman opened fire at a cookout on Sunday, April 28. 

According to Baltimore Police Commissioner Michael Harrison, the gunman started “firing indiscriminately into the crowd, striking a number of people.” The gunman is believed to have been targeting one or more people in the crowd. 

People that were just trying to enjoy a nice evening in their neighborhood will be forced to attend a funeral and mourn the loss of their own neighbor. Their residence is now a crime scene,.The streets their children walk home on are littered with shell casings and one tragic event has now eliminated all of the safety they ever felt in their own home.

But this isn’t surprising. There isn’t a moment when Americans aren’t exposed to the incomprehensible violence that infiltrates even the safest of places. We have seen elementary schools, movie theaters, colleges and even newsrooms turn into being the final resting places for innocent souls that were just living their lives. 

There isn’t an amount of “thoughts and prayers” that is equivocal to the lives lost by preventable tragedies in the United States. The immunity that American people have built up against tragedy is disheartening. The violence and terror that has integrated itself within our country and our culture are almost normalized, with people only concerned about where violence is happening next and trying to make sure they aren’t in the wrong place at the wrong time. 

On a national level, there isn’t a point to argue about immigration, securing borders, health care or any other issues that Congress is currently debating if we can’t even protect people on our own soil. There’s no point in spending weeks and months trying to pass or reform legislation being passed between the house and the senate if people are being gunned down in their own churches or neighborhoods. This isn’t solely a gun rights issue, this is an issue with the increased violence within America and the lack of explanation, empathy or radical change coming from those elected to office. 

In the most basic words, people in America are dying because of violence and those who sit in their seats in Washington D.C. are making no headway into assessing the issues our country is facing. The United States, which used to be the greatest country in the world, is facing a perpetual state of violence, and it is a dark tunnel with no light at the end of either side. 

Opinions expressed in The Nevada Sagebrush are solely those of the author and do not necessarily express the views of The Sagebrush or its staff. Jacey Gonzalez is a student at the University of Nevada and studies journalism. She can be reached at jaceygonzalez@sagebrush.unr.ed and on Twitter @NevadaSagebrush.