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Scott Van Pelt Discusses America’s Desensitized View On Gun Violence

By Josh Hill

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The tragic shootings in Ottawa this week have generated debate about gun violence but ESPN’s Scott Van Pelt is asking a different question about gun violence in America — why don’t we care?

This week brought a terrible tragedy to the Canadian capital of Ottawa, as a lone gunman attacked parliament and killed a soldier guarding a war memorial. The single murder spurred outrage across Canada and saw tributes pop up not only all over the country but south of the border in America as well.

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But what remains fascinating about the whole incident is that this wasn’t a mass murder or anything of the sort — yet it was treated as such by Canadians. this isn’t an overreaction, this is a country not used to violence reacting in a way that normal and sane human beings should.

Van Pelt talked about the incident on ESPN Radio this week and noted the difference in reactions that a largely non-gun friendly country like Canada has to a shooting compared to a gun happy country like America. He wasn’t trying to be political, rather Van Pelt was just pointing out facts.

It’s hard to not see this as a political statement as everything controversial in this country is seen as a political statement. But what this should do is generate a conversation rather than fan flames of ideological rage. Van Pelt isn’t saying that you need to give up your guns, nor is he saying that people have a right to bare arms. Instead, he simply pointing out that Americans are so immune and desensitized to violence that lone killings like the one in Canada roll off everyone like tears in the rain.

Some may say that Van Pelt shouldn’t be talking about this one a sports radio show, but if just one person is talking about this issue, then the right progress is already being made.

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