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Like most other citizens of this country, I am sickened and appalled by the latest mass shooting incident at the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida. I cannot, however, say that I am surprised.

Mass shootings have become so common in the United States that they can be compared to natural disasters such as hurricanes or tornadoes — we may not be able to predict exactly where the next one is going to hit, but we know for sure that it is only a matter of time before the next one hits somewhere.

The response to these horrendous events of so many of our elected officials can also be compared to the reaction they might have to a natural disaster — essentially it amounts to the position that there is very little, if anything, that could have been done to prevent it, and anyway, this is not the time to talk about it.

Mass shootings are so tragic not only because so many lives are lost or permanently damaged, but also because they are preventable tragedies. The United States is the only country in the developed world in which these kinds of events take place with such regularity. This is a national disgrace.

‘Well Regulated Militia’

The one critical factor that sets this country apart is the easy availability of firearms. The Second Amendment, which is so frequently invoked to oppose any type of restrictions on the acquisition of firearms, makes reference to a “well regulated militia.”

The fact is that the availability of firearms in this country is anything but well regulated. It was easier for an obviously maladjusted 19 year old to buy an assault rifle and multiple magazines of ammunition than it would have been for him to buy a bottle of beer.

The United States is the only country in the developed world in which these kinds of events take place with such regularity.

Our senators and representatives in Washington, as well as in state capitals across the country, need to take the time to learn from countries like Australia, Germany, Japan and the United Kingdom, where events like Parkland are rare, and find the courage to take whatever actions are necessary to end this insanity.

In particular, it is time for them to stop putting their political careers and the profits of the firearms industry before the lives of the people they are supposed to represent.

In Hawaii, we have not been completely immune to shooting incidents — many of us will remember the Xerox incident a couple of decades ago. We have been relatively lucky compared to many other parts of the country.

As things stand, we can only hope that we never have to experience the level of trauma that the people of Parkland are now forced to deal with. I fear, however, that if concrete steps are not soon taken to address this ongoing tragedy it is only a matter of time before the tragedy strikes us.