If you are not enraged about the terrorism that is continuously happening in our country right now, you are not adequately being informed. When tragic events like this continuously keep happening, you would think that as a nation, we would progress towards a momentous change to prevent something like this from ever happening again.

Instead, we have allowed for not one, but two mass shootings —Dayton and El Paso— to happen within 13 hours of each other. 31 individuals will not be returning home to their loved ones.

31.

Tell me, what is it going to take for change to actually happening in this country? How many more lives?

Will the next one be at the cost of my life?

I can tell you one thing for sure, your thoughts and prayers will not bring me back. My community, my friends, my family, and I do not want your worthless thoughts and prayers.

I want this to stop. I want change. I want accountability.

This rhetoric of blaming these senseless acts of violence on video games, hardcore music, or the LGBTQ+ community is shameful excuses. On August 3rd, the band The Acacia Strain —a band I used to actively listen to (and still have a special place in my heart)— was trending on Twitter for all the wrong reasons.

It was reported by Jim Heath, a journalist, that the shooter in Dayton wore a sweatshirt with lyrics from their song "Ramirez" that Heath described as "hateful and vengeful." Vincent Bennett, the lead singer of The Acacia Strain, spoke out against the report by stating via Twitter that:

"What happened in Dayton Even more so to know that the shooter was wearing a TAS hoodie is making me sick. There is no excuse for this. Anyone who knows anything knows we don't condone this behavior. No one has the right to take another's life. We will be taking action to help the families of the victims however we can."

Additionally, he tweeted:

"Music is an outlet. Music should purify. Use art as a positive outlet to your negative emotions. If you feel angry - turn to music, turn to creation. This has to stop."

To say that I am simultaneously livid and exhausted is an understatement. This country will come up with any pathetic excuse and blame these tragedies on anything but calling it out for what it truly is —terrorism. I cannot stress this factor enough: we the people do have the right to bear arms, and I am not saying we should ban all guns, but we need to enforce stricter gun regulations. Do not blame a music genre that many kind individuals listen to as an act to misrepresent the motives behind a heinous act.