It’s a difficult scenario to imagine, but the possibility of a shooting here at SRJC is all too real.

We live our lives under the shadow of gun violence, but there is a very real disconnect between theory and reality when it comes to gun control in the United States.

It’s evident in politics, where Congress failed to pass a gun control measure in spite of the overwhelming public support for one in the wake of the Newtown shooting.

It’s evident in advertising, where the Bushmaster AR-15 assault rifle was billed as a requirement for a “man card” in ads pulled after the Newtown shooter used the very same weapon.

As gun violence as a whole has dropped to half of what it was 20 years ago and mass shootings have become an unsurprising aspect of American life, it’s become clearer and clearer that wholesale regulation of firearms is not the answer. Gun culture is too engrained in our national consciousness.

As we debate background checks, regulation of assault weapons, mental health and violent video games, we know in the back of our minds that no matter what course we take to combat mass shootings, more will occur, and in the meantime minimizing public risk is key. To that end, SRJC is offering three active shooter seminars in the first two weeks of October.

Contrary to what the NRA preaches, being proactive about safety doesn’t have to mean arming ourselves. In an Oak Leaf article about the seminars, Doug Kuula, manager of the Health and Safety Department, emphasized getting out of harm’s way and hiding out. Only if all else fails, Kuula cautioned, should you try to incapacitate the shooter.

The first two seminars took place Oct. 2 on the Santa Rosa campus, but the third seminar will be Oct. 10 on the Petaluma campus in the Richard Call Building.

As students and citizens, safety should be a primary concern while we work to increase gun responsibility in this country. With the federal government shut down, no one knows how long until we find a solution. Take the opportunity to attend the Petaluma seminar. Learn about what it means to react to a crisis on campus.

We can no longer afford to kid ourselves about the reality of gun violence in this nation. The cost is too high.