On Saturday, two more mass shootings in El Paso, Texas and Dayton, Ohio saw 29 people lose their lives and dozens more injured, bringing the total number of mass shootings in the United States this year to 250.
These acts of domestic terrorism, with at least the shooting in El Paso carried out on a racist agenda targeting the immigrant community, sparked the same response from government leaders at the national and state levels. The endless debate over the cause of the shootings goes through the same cycle, with calls for gun law reform being rebuffed. Instead, blame is shifted to things like video games and mental health, then another shooting happens and we go through this cycle once more.
It’s incredibly frustrating and disheartening to watch it all unfold, knowing little will come from it in the form of actual policy that could potentially curb these disasters. That frustration is shared by many, including Philadelphia Union midfielder Alejandro Bedoya, who scored a goal against D.C. United on Sunday and capped his celebration off by grabbing the field mic — the game was broadcast on FS1 — in the corner and making a very pointed plea to Congress to do something to end gun violence.
Philadelphia Union soccer player Alejandro Bedoya scores a goal in tonight's game against D.C. United, runs over to a field microphone and shouts, "Congress, do something now. End gun violence."
Via FS1 pic.twitter.com/7WH4PA08cs— Kyle Griffin (@kylegriffin1) August 5, 2019
Bedoya saw his opportunity to use the platform he has to try and make a statement and spark something in the way of actual action, rather than the cycle of endless discourse that goes nowhere. Whether that results in something or not, it’s all any of us can do to try and make our voices be heard.
