Every week the editorial board reflects on a current issue in Our View. The position taken does not reflect the opinions of everyone on the Hilltop Views staff.

The shooting at Umpqua Community College in Oregon was tragic. The reaction to the shooting, though, was puzzling.

Everyone continues to mourn the lives lost during the shooting, but no one is particularly taken aback at the shooting. It almost has the feel of just being a part of our normal day to day culture. That is a problem.

Someone being able to go into a school, a movie theater, a church or even a mall and gun down people is horrific and tragic. That being the norm and a pervasive part of culture is disturbing.

“Daily Show” correspondent Jessica Williams hit the nail on the head in her segment covering the shooting in Oregon. Williams pretended to be on location of the Oregon shooting, then reveals that it has been pre-taped as “canned package” for the next time the event occurs.

President Barack Obama posited similar sentiments in his address to the nation. “Somehow, this has become routine,” he said.

“The reporting is routine. My response here at this podium ends up being routine. The conversation in the aftermath of it. We’ve become numb to this. This is a political choice that we make to allow this to happen every few months in America.”

This address to the nation recognized that we will likely find ourselves facing the same issue when another mass shooting occurs — whether it is a couple of weeks from now or two months.

The debate on gun control is back, with a fresh example for both sides to use as support for their individual arguments. It will be ineffective, as usual. The nation as a whole will be swept up in the debate, and then it will peter out as it always does into a stall on what to do about gun control on a national scale.

Gun ownership in the United States is the highest in the world and gun violence here is the worst in the developed world, according to Vox. Politicians write off the individuals responsible for these shootings as being mentally ill.

First off, fine. Let us pretend that this is accurate for just a minute here.

What exactly is Congress doing to help those that are mentally ill — what is the plan?

If we are going to blame people with mental illness for every mass shooting, then what exactly are we as a country doing to provide as many resources as possible to help this population of people?

Second, every person responsible for a mass shooting is not actually mentally ill, and it is deplorable to use mental illness as a scapegoat.

Both parties face challenges, especially with their inability to constructively work together. However, Congress needs to pass gun control, there needs to be reform and it needs to happen soon.