Category: Gun Control

In America, the right to bear arms delivered a phenomenon called the “gun culture”. The title was founded by historian, Richard Hofstadter in which he describes America’s heritage and affection for weapons. Gun culture has not only become an inseparable part of American democracy but also considered to be equivalent to independence and freedom, which are important values for the society in America. Although this so-called gun culture plays an important role in today’s politics, schools in the country has become perilous places in the 20th century. Mass shootings have been taking place all over America and these incidents are leading to one or more deaths.

Many of us as individuals when we think of school shootings, our minds would immediately go back to the Columbine high school shooting. Why? According to encyclopaedia, the occurrence was one of the deadliest mass shootings in United States history. 13 people were killed and more than 20 were wounded until the Parkland shooting occurred and is now known to be the deadliest high school shooting in which 17 people were killed. In the article published by The Atlantic on 2017, “The Righteous Anger of the Parkland Shooting’s Teen Survivors” written by Robinson Meyer, we see how juveniles in today’s society are becoming more knowledgeable of the real issues in USA and explores political activism in response to gun control issues.

Robinson Meyer is the writer of the article “The Righteous Anger of the Parkland Shooting’s Teen Survivors”, whom is a part of the staff at the American magazine, The Atlantic, we can assure that the main readers of the magazine are Americans. However, the text is also available online and that makes it accessible for all English-speaking readers international. The piece is not a news article as it does not report on the shooting that took place, still, Meyer follows the typical structure of a modern feature article to which he analyses survivor’s reactions towards the school shooting. The tone used in the article is serious and sad, which can be seen in some of the chosen words used in the article that tends to be dramatic and negative, this will be discussed later on.

In the article, the writer points out how young people are becoming activists for gun control and uses the recent deadliest school shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School. “Those students understand that they live in a country that they have very little power to change – a country where, several times a year, a school for children becomes a charnel house.” Throughout the whole article, it investigates topics such as political activism among adolescents in the context of school shootings and gun control issues in America including how juveniles participate in political activism using social media in subject to cruel events. “Something was different about this mass shooting this week in Parkland, Florida…” Robinson Meyer begins his text by arguing that the mass shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High was different and unique from others not only because it was the deadliest high school shooting but also because it was widely spread on social media by student survivors. “Tweets that were widely reported as coming from the students expressed grief for the victims, pushed against false reports, and demanded accountability.” His article also consists of survivor’s reaction towards the traumatic experience through social media such as Twitter where they argue that lack of gun control leads to higher death rate caused by mass shootings, hence advocating for stricter gun control law in the country. But unlike the style of language used by Meyer, most of the Tweets are informal and some are typically written with slangs. For instance, the first Tweet contains a single sentence in which the person who has tweeted it expresses grief and regret without actually mentioning the incident. “OMG, teen from #MarjoryStonemanDouglas on @npr just now…” Some of the following Tweets were written with slangs such as “OMG” and includes some hashtags. One of the Tweets is a respond to POTUS, Donald Trump tweeting his condolences to the victims, “I don’t want your condolences you fucking price of shit…” The language used here expresses aggressiveness. The person who tweeted this calls Trump a ‘fucking price of shit’, misspelling the word ‘piece’, but even though she is responding to the president, she takes advantage of her freedom of speech and expresses her emotions.

“The Righteous Anger of the Parkland Shooting’s Teen Survivors” shows perfect examples of how high school students used and are using social medias as a tool for political activism by expressing their outrage and frustration. “High-school students – the survivors of the calamity themselves – became the voice of the tragedy…” This illustrates how media can be a powerful tool for everyone specially for the students in this case and use it to be heard by the people in power. In spite of the dilemma whether students have enough knowledge and information to become political activists, Meyer advocates that they do, “… adolescents, who can discuss and understand the tragedy as adults but who are as blameless for it as children.” He claims that American juveniles have enough political awareness because they grew up in the media age, and proposes that in the case of gun control and mass shooting, students were well informed and prepared for becoming political activists. “…And they will not be the last victims to face a loaded assault rifle and think: This is preventable. I must politicize this.” Although teenagers use social media in form of debate, not all of them will be heard specially the ones who comes from an underprivilege family or ethnic minorities, they might be overlooked by the public and media even if they participate in any form of activism.

To give an example on how students have chosen to make changes in society, three of the Parkland survivors talk with Ellen DeGeneres about the March on Washington they have helped organised, which is later called “March for Our Lives” and will include nationwide demonstrations. These teenagers argue that this march is a respond to people who have told them now is not the time to talk about gun control. They believe that this march will be a good time to finally talk and advocate about gun control. The video shows how coherently spoken these teenagers are in regard to gun control, showing maturity but at the same time emotionally affected and traumatized by the incident. On top of that, the video presents having endorsement from the media can help students promote the cause.

Throughout the article, the writer’s tone is serious and concerned. Meyer’s style of writing is formal and some of his chosen words helps us understand his expressions towards the shooting: for instance, the article’s title, “The Righteous Anger of the Parkland Shooting’s Teen Survivors”. ‘Righteous anger’ is a term to describe anger that is not sinful, and in this case, we can see Meyer takes on the survivor’s side. In addition to this, some of the chosen words such as “deadliest high-school shooting” , “tragedy” , “violence” , “an inexplicable catastrophe, not as an unforeseeable tragedy” also shows us that the writer himself sees the shooting as a terrible event and decries the people in power for failing to solve this issue earlier, which could have prevented it. “These assorted Florida teenagers knew the contours of the gun debate so well that they were rebutting NRA…” Meyer also works with pathos and ethos to show empathy for the survivors, and when combining the two, not only does it illustrates the teenagers as honest and trustworthy young people but also shows the writer’s opinion and support of them. “This is what astonished and confronted me while watching the Stoneman Douglas High’s speakers for the dead…” In these specific lines, Meyer’s usage of the first person-statement is clear and is directly expressing his feelings and thoughts towards the whole situation.

When all is said and done, after the school shooting at Parkland, young people have become the new voice of the American society today. Many has put a label on them as teen activists but how about, people who has simply had enough? Robinson Meyer’s article promotes the cause and illustrates perfect examples of how young people have taken action to this matter. These young people have started to lead a movement to stamp out of horrific massacres that has taken thousands of children’s lives in the country using social media to draw the world’s focus on what has been ignored for far too long. We had a choice where to put our efforts, whether into peace or war when we felt the fear of others. So, guns were made and called them piece when it was anything but. But did that give us our peace of removing a piece of someone else’s? How many more massacres before the people in power decides to take action?

In 2018 alone, there were 82 school shootings around the world, in today’s society as dishearting as it may sound school shootings have become more and more abundant. There have been many cases around the world causing students to be scared to attend school and arising fear in many faculty and staff to attend work. Many times the shooters typically try to target a specific person or persons, or their goal is to just cause mass hysteria among all of whom attend the facilities. Creating an anxiety-filled environment, it almost seems as if every day there is another headline about a school shooting. Approximately 311 deaths have occurred because of school shootings(The K-12 School Shooting Statistics Everyone Should Know), that’s not even counting injuries Many people react to these devastating situations differently and among the people, some have taken action in regards to making school safer for everyone that attends. School shooting numbers have risen. Schools aren’t as safe as they should be shootings numbers are at a high.

There have been school shootings that have happened all around the world and different time periods causing mass chaos among those affected and that of those that are sympathetic for persons involved in these tragic events. It has seemed that the numbers have been rising “2018 had the greatest number of incidents since 1970, with 82 recorded incidents. The next highest year was 2006 with 59 incidents” (The K-12 School Shooting Statistics Everyone Should Know).Thus showing that since 1970 these horrific events have begun increasing a major problem in our society and our global school’s safety efforts. Since 1970 there have been about 1300 shootings on or around school property including afterschool events and other meetings(The K-12 School Shooting Statistics Everyone Should Know). This is crazy to think about due to the fact that school is a place for students to learn and to help achieve their goals in life, not to sit in the classroom anxiety-filled hoping that the code red alarm doesn’t go off. The sad thing about that is how much society as a whole has changed for better and for worse. In-classroom today more often than before there are lockdown drills and practice barricading the door at least once a month, in fact, we had to carry out these tasks. Along with getting us prepared for the worst possible scenario it also can strike fear among the youth and alter their outlooks on society. But at least it’s a step in the right direction for the safety of everyone at schools.

Some schools are trying to and apply their best efforts to protect not only the students but faculty and staff as well. For example, schools in Georgia are trying to improve their overall school security as stated by Bibb County Schools Chief of Staff Keith Simmons “ We want to be able to use those funds to improve safety and security at the school, but I don’t want to have to spend $50,000 to use $30,000” elaborating on that they are trying to push for a safer environment for those that attend those facilities. He is showing that in order to get the money approved for use to make the schools safer he would have to spend near $20,000 which is incredible on the government’s part. The government seems to be an advocate for safe schools yet they are making it harder for people, like Keith Simmons to take action on the schools’ behalf and make a safer environment for all that attend. All in all, schools are already pretty safe but just like the world around us, they seem to be always changing sometimes for the good and sometimes for the bad. According to SCHOOL SHOOTINGS What We Know, What We Can Do “implementing threat assessment as common practice” can increase the overall safety of the school over internal attacks it can also provide the school with more insight about its students. If making schools as safe as possible was easy this type of stuff wouldn’t happen.

Even after works of schools they still aren’t a complete lockdown like a prison because the so-called attacker can be inside the whole time during lockdowns and through all the precautionary steps taken by the school. They would be able to see the whole “defense plan” from the inside and determine how they are going to carry out their morbid plan. Whereas having the lockdown drills would hinder or compromise the safety of other students. As stated in SCHOOL SHOOTINGS What We Know, What We Can Do “School shootings are difficult to predict, but educators aren’t powerless to prevent such tragedies” their are many tell-tell signs to have more insight in the way to predict who will carry out these tragedies by just having instructors paying closer attention to there students mental health/ mental disorders and or their behavior taking a shift to a more aggressive and depressed outlook on life. Even though accurately predicting the exact day and type of attack on the school is not in the realm of possibility, having teachers attend a type of class where behavioral study is taught would be a step in the right direction it wouldn’t eliminate the problem. Some teachers don’t fully care about there job as well and are just chasing there chack and couldn’t care less about background monitoring their students’ behavioral changes for the betterment of there school. With two of the most deadly school shootings in history occurring at two different high schools which were attended by there shooter even though predicting those shootings are impossible, and the shooters showed very little signs of remorse, doesn’t mean that monitoring your students may or may not help the situations for near or far future.

As for what triggers someone to shift behavioral morals there is a lot that rides on that aspect of the spectrum. First of all discrimination/bullying from peers plays a major role in whether the behavior of a minor switches and becomes more aggressive outlook upon the world around him/her. School systems as a whole have already been working to combat the issue of bullying by having signs of it around campus and have a controversial “zero-tolerance policy” surrounding the matter. There is also the separation aspect, “Removal from the classroom may be especially problematic for students with disabilities”(SCHOOL SHOOTINGS: What We Know, What We Can Do) this shows that the removal of students with disabilities form normal classrooms over to segregated classrooms may elevate the problem to an uncontrollable level. Lastly, there is the off-campus viewpoint of parenting and family life, For instance the Parkland Shooting the gunman had a messed up family life even though that still has no justifications for his actions it dives into the world of just how severe a messed up family life can influence the situation along with some other psychological aspects. All of the factors play a major role in behavioral variations within our school systems.

After most school shooting an activist party advocates for the banishment of the most popular AR-15 assault rifle due to its automatic capabilities even though most of the school shooting is done with some type of handgun and in fact is the most abundant murder weapon around the United States. There are many measures put in place by states that help reduce shootings as stated by Mark Gius “states with background checks had lower incidents of school shootings” back round checks aid in the aspect of reducing guns in the wrong peoples’ hands yea in our world today if you want to do something terrible there always away. for example, the Saugus High School shooting the gunman was using a “ghost gun” which is a D.I.Y firearm with no serial number that is usually made with a 3D printer. Has been tested to inflict the same amount of damage as a real metal gun to human flesh. Making these guns increasingly dangerous to situations to school shootings because they are un-traceable through most metal detectors. All guns in the wrong hands pose a threat to everyone’s gun control laws might serve to lower the goal amount of school shooting to zero but there is no telling. For instance “1,300 children aged 1–17 died from gunshot wounds in the United States” “shootings in school settings accounted for 117 fatalities” (SCHOOL SHOOTINGS: What We Know, What We Can Do) showing that even though it is rare in schools it still happens In a place of learning.

Even though school shooting numbers are at a high over the last few years they are still relatively rare as a school shooting is 130 times less likely over a regular shooting of a minor outside of school. The threat in school is still viable yet people are trying to combat it in different ways along with the ideas of monitoring student’s mental health and trying to combat threating possibilities before they arise at full strength. To eventually lower the number of school shootings to zero and bring learning back to schools, but we are not quite there yet.

Works Cited

1. Gius, Mark. “The Effects of State and Federal Gun Control Laws on School Shootings.” Applied Economics Letters, vol. 25, no. 5, Mar. 2018, pp. 317–320. Business Source Complete, EBSCOhost, doi:10.1080/13504851.2017.1319555. Accessed 21 Nov. 2019.
2. H., Spencer Aisha, and Farrell Ryan P. “Putting Violence in Perspective: How Safe Are America’s Educators in the Workplace?” Monthly Labor Review, 2016. Edsjsr, EBSCOhost, db07.linccweb.org/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=edsjsr&AN=edsjsr.monthlylaborrev.2016.08.007&site=eds-live. Accessed 20 Nov. 2019.
3. “How Are Central Georgia Schools Using Governor Kemp’s Security Grant?” WMAZ, 13 Nov. 2019, www.13wmaz.com/article/news/education/central-georgia-schools-use-school-security-grant/93-e895457b-c958-4cb1-b0b3-d37bb4123c09.
4. Landrum, Timothy J.1, t.landrum@louisville.edu, et al. “SCHOOL SHOOTINGS: What We Know, What We Can Do.” Educational Leadership, vol. 77, no. 2, Oct. 2019, pp. 36–41. Eue, EBSCOhost, db07.linccweb.org/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=eue&AN=139039752&site=eds-live. Accessed 20 Nov. 2019.
5. Staff, CS. “The K-12 School Shooting Statistics Everyone Should Know.” Campus Safety Magazine, Campus Safety, 26 Apr. 2019, www.campussafetymagazine.com/safety/k-12-school-shooting-statistics-everyone-should-know/.

‘Attention please. Lockdown. Locks, lights, out of sight.” (Tasneem Nashrulla, 2019). This alarm is repeated for a long 20 minutes as high school students, of a STEM school in Colorado, do their best to hide as silent as possible and pray for themselves, and their classmates, to live for another day.

School was created to teach children. School was created to help them grow. School was created to be an environment of safety. However, school is a place where we learn lock down drills, dissolve into the crowd, and learn how to fear the unknown. School safety has changed and so the way it is approached must change along with it. School shootings not only change the culture of students, but leave them with mental health issues that will linger throughout their lives.

In the past 180 years, 517 schools have lost “594 people” and have affected students and communities that fear the same fate will come to their own schools. (Jo Detz, 2019). The increasing number of school shootings have places a cavalier attitude which forces a negative connotation to school. It normalizes the effects of shooting to a place where they are expected to occur. This unprecedented attack on the younger generations leave their communities with “deep emotional scars” that will always remind them of their unguaranteed safety. (Ariella Iancu, 2019)

This culture has not only placed a strain on communities but also on the individuals directly impacted by this violence. Conditions such as depression and anxiety are expected to arise in the aftermath of such a traumatic event. As school shootings continue to grow, students are finding it difficult to properly cope and work through these new feelings and issues. In turn, students are found to lack the ability to maintain focus in these distressed environments. Lower test scores and dropping attendance are one set example of the deepening and lasting effects of school shootings. School shootings are disabling students to the effects of mental health in a way that is preventing them from functioning normally in society.

Likewise, students who have been directly affected by shootings continue to struggle with mental health with every reminder of these events. It can take months or even years to be free from the damage shootings can cause in one’s mind. Thus, when one goes through such trama, they are at a high risk of other issues such as PTSD. Post traumatic Stress Disorder, is a mental issue that is caused by severe stress in the event of trauma. PTSD illustrates the very root issue of how students are being affected by fear. Not only do students feel a “resistance” to school, emotional stress is taken on as they leave the classroom. Which opens the door to feelings such as, “anxiety, absence of security, and anger” at home, where these feelings cloud their minds (Jessica Hamblen, 2007). Even though PTSD is a condition that can be addressed it does not change the fact that this one event can change the outlook of a person’s life and increase difficulty that, before these events, were simple tasks.

School shootings continue to leave a long lasting effect on a student’s health and an imprint on schools safety policies. In the aftermath, precautions were put in schools to try to make a mask of safety to hide the reality of not knowing how to protect one another. In turn, this is not increasing the safety of our schools but rather encouraging fear. In some schools “active shooter drills” are taken beyond the extent of teaching children how to act, instead, they “seem designed to traumatize students” by instilling fear. (​Evan Gerstmann​, 2019) They send an actor on campus with a fake gun that shoots blanks, pretends to shoot teachers, knocks hysterically on doors, all the while forcing kids to hide in a dark, locked room. For example an unannounced drill in Henrico County, replicated ever mom’s biggest nightmare, thinking their are receiving their last “I love you” text from their children. This continued fear is extending the effects that shootings instill in students. (John hirschauer, 2019). This exposure to violence to young, impreational minds, will increase the fear and panic connected to schools shootings.

School shootings not only affect students as a collective body, but furthermore, causes serious stress and or mental health issues. Schools was a place of promised safety, but with school shooting, safety must be something that is sought at an emotional level and then from there attacked. Mental health is brought with tragedy but as Amy Novontney put it, society must think about, “what happens to the survivors”, and how these communities will rebuild this sense of security that was the foundation of school. Instead of fearing the unknown, schools must focus on using these tragedies as a tool of growth and learning to find solutions to these mental health issues.

Work Cited

1. Detz, Jo. “U.S. School Shootings: Just the Facts.” EcoRI News, EcoRI News, 9 Sept. 2019,​www.ecori.org/public-safety/2019/9/7/us-school-shootings-just-the-facts​.
2. Gerstmann, Evan. “Why Schools Should End Active Shooter Drills Immediately.” Forbes, Forbes Magazine, 7 Sept. 2019, www.forbes.com/sites/evangerstmann/2019/09/07/why-schools-should-end-active-shooter-drills-immediately/#343ee43d2a92​.
3. Hamblen, Jessica. “PTSD in Children and Adolescents – (National Center for PTSD).” www.georgiadisaster.info, 22 May 2007, www.georgiadisaster.info/Schools/fs%207%20school/PTSD%20in%20Children%20&%20Adolescents.pdf​.
4. Hirschauer, John. ‘The Needless Trauma of Active-Shooter Drills: Why are we terrorizing children over an exceptionally remote possibility?’ National Review, 11 Nov. 2019, p.20+. Gale OneFile: High School Edition, https://link.gale.com/apps/doc/A603845380/STOM?u=j057905034&sid=STOM&xid=0be02221. Accessed 14 Jan. 2020.
5. Iancu, Ariella. “After School Shootings, Children And Communities Struggle To Heal.” After School Shootings, Children And Communities Struggle To Heal | Health Affairs, 19 July 2019, ​www.healthaffairs.org/do/10.1377/hblog20190717.855810/full/​.
6. http://www.ecori.org/public-safety/2019/9/7/us-school-shootings-just-the-facts
7. http://www.forbes.com/sites/evangerstmann/2019/09/07/why-schools-should-end-active-shooter-drills-immediately/#343ee43d2a92
8. http://www.forbes.com/sites/evangerstmann/2019/09/07/why-schools-should-end-active-shooter-drills-immediately/#343ee43d2a92
9. http://www.georgiadisaster.info/Schools/fs%207%20school/PTSD%20in%20Children%20&%20Adolescents.pdf
10. http://www.georgiadisaster.info/Schools/fs%207%20school/PTSD%20in%20Children%20&%20Adolescents.pdf
11. http://www.healthaffairs.org/do/10.1377/hblog20190717.855810/full/AP Language Arts January 2nd, 2020
12. Novotney, Amy. “What Happens to the Survivors.” Monitor on Psychology, American Psychological Association, Sept. 2018, www.apa.org/monitor/2018/09/survivors.
13. Nashrulla, Tasneem. “This Is What It Sounds Like Hiding In A Dark Classroom During A School Shooting.” BuzzFeed News, BuzzFeed News, 30 May 2019,
14. www.buzzfeednews.com/article/tasneemnashrulla/colorado-stem-highlands-school-shooting-texts-video-lockdown​.
15. http://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/tasneemnashrulla/colorado-stem-highlands-school-shooting-texts-video-lockdown
16. http://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/tasneemnashrulla/colorado-stem-highlands-school-shooting-texts-video-lockdown

Over the past couple of weeks, I have been researching gun control trying to find why it’s useful in America. Having many accounts of gun violence in America, many Americans say that the second amendment is outdated and that we need stricter gun laws. In reality states with stricter gun laws have more accounts of gun violence. This proves that stricter gun control doesn’t work.

California is ranked as A in gun control yet has more accounts of gun violence in their state, while Texas is ranked F yet has fewer accounts of gun violence or mass shootings(Swearer). This is important because the percentage of shootings in Texas is 6.6% of their population, and if it was compared to the state of Washington which is ranked a B the percentage is 8.9% of the population(Swearer). This just proves gun control doesn’t work. If that doesn’t convince you then, let talk about this so-called outdated amendment. According to a reporter for the new dealer, they say that our founding fathers created the second amendment when guns weren’t so strong during that time and were never expected to get this powerful. The statement is true guns weren’t so powerful and advance back then, yet they were able to advance and America was able to win wars. Without this use of advancement, I can conclude America would be one of the weakest countries in the world. Civilization has evolved with cars, medicine, and weaponry. Everyone should have the right to bear arms just in case another revolution was to take place. Instead of restricting gun control, how about the gun laws may be modified to be able to decrease the mass shooting of each state.

Gun control is another myth that people believe would decrease the number of school shootings or patients with mental illnesses opening fire in a public location putting the lives of many in danger. Modifying the laws that are already given can change the probability of having a school undergo fire by someone. For example, if gun trafficking was actually looked at by the government then guns being sold illegally to minors would decrease. According to the Gifford law center, about 40 percent of guns entering us are from unlicensed sellers that aren’t required to give background checks. This proves that gun trafficking exists and guns are falling into the wrong hands. If the laws were modified this wouldn’t be a problem, having stricter gun control wouldn’t affect that because criminals would still be able to obtain guns. The only thing that would work is modifying laws to prevent guns from getting into the wrong hands.

When guns get to the hands of kids and teens then it goes bad. Without the proper guide on how to use a gun many deaths occur. There is a reason why there are laws that prevent kids to have guns, but sometimes guns are let loose in homes and children are able to get their hands on them and the first thing they do is point it at their face. This sometimes may lead to them pulling the trigger and either dying or killing someone else like their father or mother. According to the Guardian, a four-year-old found a gun under a mattress and shot his own mother in the face. Everyone who owns a gun should be given a safe to be able to keep their guns out of reach from children to prevent situations like this. Having laws modified can change the percentage of deaths in America.

For far too long, gun control and the banning of firearms have been the topic of intense debates and more and more citizens are on the side of banning firearms. Gun control restricts which types of firearms can be sold, bought, as well as who can sell them to passing them to family members or if said person can sell his or her gun. Gun control also requires any firearm purchase and sale to be reported to the government. It also specifies how much and which types of ammunition can be used as well as how many rounds a magazine can hold to making sure background checks are given. Mass shootings, terrorist attacks, criminals, kill people, not guns. I’ve held and shot many guns before and after setting them down, not one has gotten up, walked away, and pulled its own trigger. Tightening gun laws or banning firearms will not put an end to citizens, or anyone, from obtaining guns. With such strict gun laws and the talk of banning them outright, citizens will feel vulnerable if they cannot protect themselves, and lastly, banning guns is a violation of the people’s second amendment. Emotions and feelings get in the way of logical thinking and although some laws are necessary, gun control laws have become too strict, especially in states like New Jersey.

To start, while banning guns might work in the short-term aspect, eventually a ban will prove to be ineffective seeing as how there will always be other avenues for people to obtain guns. There is the black market, 3-D printing, one can build his or her own gun as well buy guns from the internet. The guns that are being 3-D printed and/or built by someone, usually do not have serial numbers. So, not only would people still have firearms, but if they were to get lost, stolen, or even used in a crime, they would not be able to be tracked. So, instead of trying to tighten the gun laws or ban firearms, lawmakers should look into safer gun ownership. Offer more gun safety classes and inform gun owners of Smart Guns, which use fingerprint technology which only allows the owner to fire it. In a study conducted in 2014, out of 5.9 million violent crimes, approximately ten percent contained gun involvement and this is including robberies, assaults, and murder crimes. For ninety percent of violent crimes, people either used a different weapon or no weapon at all. But, hasn’t there been a decrease in gun crimes since the laws have been tightening? Simply put, no. The crimes actually started to decrease in the 1990s when more people started to purchase guns and even with a decrease in gun deaths, and stricter gun laws, it has not done much to reduce gun violence in New Jersey. Also, research has found that New Jersey has more firearms deaths than those states who have weak gun laws.

Moreover, if guns are banned, there will be a lost sense of safety. In an article I read by Pew Research Center, they stated, ‘The vast majority o gun owners say that having a gun makes them feel safer and far more today than in 1999 cite protection [than other activities].’ If gun laws are made stricter and/or firearms are banned, many feel as though it would be difficult to protect themselves and their families. The gun laws in New Jersey are extremely strict. For example, in-home and during one’s travels, the gun and the ammo must be separated in different cases, the case must be locked and stored away in one’s trunk. For law-abiding citizens, this already poses a threat. Intruders, robbers, criminals already have an advantage due to the fact that it’ll take too long for one to load his or her gun but imagine not even being to protect yourself at all. Banning guns will cause victims to be harmed and/or possibly killed. Tightening gun laws and the talk of banning firearms itself creates fear. For example, when Obama called for the tightening of gun laws, guns sales spiked- they nearly doubled. President Obama has actually been the best salesman for firearms, Brian W. Butterbur. Even with something as minor as increasing background checks, fear was instilled, and guns sales rose.

Lastly, the second amendment is in place to protect citizens against these kinds of laws. Banning would be an infringement especially since it is the people’s right to bear arms. The governor of New Jersey has already infringed upon the second amendment when he decided to lower the magazine capacity from fifteen to ten rounds. Increasing the prices and making it more difficult to obtain a firearm is also an infringement. Although this is a violation, the Circuit Courts are allowing him to create and pass these laws.

All in all, while I side with the importance of gun control, to a certain degree, I believe it is most unfair and does not do what lawmakers claim will be the end result. Citizens, people, will always find other means to obtaining guns, some of which are illegal. For a state and nation that wants such strict gun control, its government is only pushing people to purchase untraceable firearms.

November 15th, 2015, around 12 pm, I watched all the students in my Math class run in the corner of the classroom and crouch down under the big table after the voice in the speaker went, “We’re going on lockdown”. Not knowing what to do, I followed them since it was my first time encountering such things. Confusion took over me; my head was filled with thousands of questions. Not long after, our teacher who was wearing high heels earlier was tip-toeing as slowly approaching us. The room went dead silent after she whispered, “This is no longer a drill; an armed man was seen wandering around our school”. I was shocked. Soon, I came to realize that the thoughts in my head were no longer curiosity, rather it was horror and the concern whether we will make it alive. Two hours passed by, no sign of the shooter at our door; no sound of violence was heard. Right when we thought we were safe, there was a knock. Everybody began to panic and my hope of returning home alive faded away. A man with a gun appeared in front of our eyes but to our surprise, it was the local police officer who had come to make sure we were okay. He informed us that no such man was found around the area and concluded it to be a prank call. We were relieved. The following semester, I was introduced to the Bill of Rights in my American History class and realized how easy the constitution made it for people to bear arms. Back then, the passing of such a right made perfect sense to me because it was for self-defense. However, three years later, I started to question it when seventeen kids were killed in Stoneman Douglas High School shooting. Questions like how do people like Nikolas Cruz, a 19-year-old, get to purchase guns in America? Is there any background check? Why are mass shootings more frequent around here in America than in any other countries and what policies is the government taking to reduce mass shootings? Is banning guns an option? After some research, I found out that the number of mass shootings has been increasing massively over the past few years, and Congress has finally taken the issue of gun violence into account. They’re still debating about which laws may be effective in reducing it. On the other hand, after the Parkland shooting in 2018, there have been new laws passed in some states by the state legislatures. These include raising the age limit on gun purchases, stricter background checks, and seize guns from those who seem to pose dangers to themselves and others (Maledez, S, 2019). However, even with all these new laws, someone was still able to shoot up a Walmart in El Paso, Texas, leading to the death of 22 people in August 2019. Therefore, based on my research, I can argue that such laws of doing strict background checks, seizing guns, or raising the age limit aren’t helping reduce mass shootings, and the best way to prevent it would be to completely ban the possession of guns from the American society.

While looking for the answer to my first question, I found out a strict background check is conducted during the selling of guns, however, it has a loophole that fails the entire purpose of it which is not handing in guns to murderers. I decided to start my research by visiting the Wayne State Library website. I went to Summon, and typed in my first question, how are guns purchased in the United States. As soon as I pressed enter, hundreds of articles appeared on the screen. One of the articles titled Trump endorses background checks for gun purchases: USA SHOOTINGS caught my attention, and I decided to skim through it. As I started reading, I came across the fact that not all gun purchasers needed their background checked. According to the article, “In February, the Democratic-controlled House of Representatives passed a bill mandating federal background checks for all gun purchases, including those made online or at gun shows, which are largely unregulated. But the leader of the Republican majority in the Senate, Mitch McConnell, has refused to bring the measure to a vote in the upper chamber” (EFE News Service, 2019). This means that the purchase of guns at gun shows or online is available to everybody. Anyone who has enough money could easily walk out with a gun without even having their background checked. This anyone can range from people buying it for self-defense to people who are mentally ill and are planning on a massacre. Such a law of doing “background checks” is not safe and it brings danger to everybody.

As I continued with my research, I learned that some states consider raising the age limit of gun purchases to be effective in reducing the number of mass shootings. As an attempt to further my knowledge on the ways the states are trying to resolve this issue besides the background check, I typed in “solutions to the mass shooting in the USA” in Summon. Unfortunately, the articles that popped up didn’t seem to have the answer to my question. But I needed answers, which is why I decided to google my question. While scrolling down, I found the article The Effects of Minimum Age Requirements which stated that raising the age limit can be a solution and that two states had already implemented it. It further stated “by restricting youth access, minimum age restrictions could reduce rates of firearm suicide or unintentional shootings by the affected age group” (Rand.org, 2019). But the previous article about background checks says otherwise. As I mentioned earlier, the federal law made guns easily accessible to people if it’s bought from a gun shop or online, and no actions have been taken against them yet. It doesn’t require any background checks, therefore anyone, even those who have been denied access due to their young age by their states, will have access to it. Thus, raising the age limit of gun purchases will have no effect, and would be nothing but just one more law added to the law books.

The next thing I found is that people blame mental illness as one of the main factors of mass shootings. According to the article, President Trump addressed mental illness as a cause by stating ‘It’s a mental problem, and we’re going to be meeting with members of Congress,’ after the Texas shooting. He proposed background checks saying “I think background checks are important”(EFE News Service, 2019). Background checks prohibit people suffering from mental illness from bearing arms. But another article titled Mass Shootings, Mental Illness, and Gun Control which I obtained from Summon states that “it is relatively easy for those with serious mental illnesses to pass current background checks and legally obtain guns” because some states fail to submit their mental health records (Jones, S 2019). It further explains that many people purchase their firearms long before they begin to show evidence of severe mental illness” therefore, seizing the guns from them would require proof which may take longer to obtain. This means that they can walk freely with guns on them and can harm others if they want to until their illness is proven.

As I carried on the search for my answers, I discovered that the US had far more incidents of gun violence compared to other countries. Why? The article What Explains U.S. Mass Shootings? answers the question by saying “Americans makeup about 4.4 percent of the global population but own 42 percent of the world’s guns” (Fisher M, Keller J. 2019). This suggests the US has more guns compared to its population. In another article, New Zealand took 6 days to plan new laws. Here’s how other countries reacted to shooting presents examples of other countries where the percentage of gun violence went down after they changed their gun policy. According to it, New Zealand announced a national ban on military-style semi-automatic guns after the mass shooting in March 2019. After the homicide in the Tasmanian town of Port Arthur, John Howard, Australia’s conservative prime minister at the time, made guns a privilege, not a right. British Parliament had outlawed the private ownership of nearly all handguns in 1997 after someone killed 16 kids (Mervosh, S. 2019). These are all examples that show that more guns mean more violence.

Over the past years, mass shootings have become so common in America that the only way to reduce it is to ban civilians from the possession of guns. I have learned that Congress and the States are trying to resolve the issue by requiring strict background checks, raising the age limit, and denying mentally ill people access to guns but based on what I found, these solutions are not helping. I believe a revision of the second amendment and completely banning guns will put an end to this. I still want to know about the disadvantages of a gun ban and look forward to seeing how Congress ends the chapter of mass shootings from the history of America.

The gun control theme has been a huge problem that is been discussed for a very long time. The problem has polarized people in terms of what is the best solution in the aftermath of the latest tragic mass shootings. There are some people who want the government to keep the limitations on weapons. On the other side, there are people who do not support the regulation and how firearms could be controlled. All law-abiding citizens should be permitted to carry weapons; this is to protect themselves against people who may wish to harm them, such as in instances of mass shooting. Due to the numerous school shootings and the availability of high-powered rifles, the executive branch should make our communities safer from gun violence.

There are over 250 types of guns in the US today and each citizen has at least one and continues to grow for about 7 million of them each year. Experts believe that the second amendment is rational and legal to the citizens, the author of the handgun prohibition and the person that brought out the second amendment Don B. Kates states that the “second amendment protects an individual’s right to possess a firearm unconnected with service in the militia and can be used for traditionally lawful purposes, an example is self-defense within one’s home, however, she never said anybody can go around and start shooting people wrongfully and then claiming you are right. Every year gun violence increases, which really concerns the citizens and the nation. Anybody can purchase a firearm in the US without a background check, except in some states.

There are some solutions in which gun violence can be controlled, firstly reduce firearms access to youths and individuals who are at risk of harming themselves or others, this is basically talking about people who have been violent to their partners and families around them. Secondly, insist on mandatory training for licensing for owners. This training should include recurring education to renew permits, with a graduated licensing process at least as stringent as for driver’s licenses. When it comes to people owning a gun privately, there are guns that are suitable for protection. Guns such as the AK 47 or the AR15 that holds about 30 or more magazine capacity are not suitable in public and are the quick and efficient massacre of the people around. There are no reasons why anyone should have that much. Some of the biggest mass shooting histories have to do with semi-automatic rifles; examples are the deadly shootings at a concert in Las Vegas schools in Connecticut, South Florida, and was also used at a nightclub in Orlando. The AR-15s — often called assault rifles or sporting rifles — are semi-automatic weapons, a civilian version of the military’s fully automated M16.

When it comes to the president changing gun laws, he cannot really do much. However, as the executive branch, the president has the power to direct his agencies, enforce gun laws and make them influence internal practices. If the president wants to take unilateral action on rifle guns, he or she can mostly act through the Department of Justice and its agencies, said attorney Lindsay Nichols of Gifford’s, the gun violence prevention organization. The democratic presidential candidates who have endorsed executive actions on rifle guns have proposals and ambitions. They have each promised to put on a mission called “engaged in the business”. This would make thousands of sellers get a license and conduct checks or they stop selling rifle guns. According to trace 2019, all four said they would reverse the Trump administration’s decision to use a much more limited definition of “fugitives from justice” for the purposes of the federal background check system.

A high-capacity magazine at can hold as many as 20 to100 bullets are capable of causing mass destruction. But with the magazines being reduced to a small amount, would cause less damage, this includes the fire rate and magazine capacity. In 2004, the U.S. Department of Justice found that following the implementation of the ban, a number of cities and jurisdictions reported declines in the number of assault weapons recovered from crime scenes. These declines ranged from 17 percent to 72 percent. With the disconnector removal or selector, fire will be manipulated with comparative ease automatically.

This also implies that within two to five minutes shooting can take place. This requires a ban on assault rifles. If the rifles are not controlled, there may be more threats in the public.

Gun control is a vital necessity to our nation today. On one side of the debate, there are individuals who favor the idea of having restrictions placed on guns, and on the other hand, there are individuals who are opposed to putting gun laws in place. The individuals who are against gun control believe that controlling guns will not solve the existing challenges that guns have caused such as crimes or mass shootings. People who are pro-gun regulation know of the threat they pose to society. According to the data from Gun Violence Archive (GVA), as of September 1, which was the 244th day of the year, there have been 283 mass shootings in the U.S (GunViolenceArchive.org). The last time that the number of mass shootings totaled more days than there are in a year was back in 2016, which had 382 mass shootings (Silverstein 2019). The devastations that these tragic events have caused to our society is why we need laws to be set in place to prevent these things from happening.

I feel that there should be multiple protocols and procedures that Americans should have to go through to obtain gun licenses. The lack of gun control shows results in the possession of guns by the wrong individuals. I believe that it is a good idea for mental and background screenings to be taken as one of the strategies to limit gun violence in the nation and targets to ensure that firearms are in the hands of psychologically fit people. According to Dr. Jonathan M. Metzl and Dr. Kenneth T. MacLeish, both authors of Mental Illness, Mass Shootings, and the Politics of American Firearms, 5% of the total gun killings experienced in the United States have been perpetrated by mentally ill individuals (Metzi and MacLeish 2015). Though the statistics of the individuals responsible were not as high, it is obvious that psychological traits that individuals possess are a contribution to gun violence in the nation.

Tuesday, April 20th, 1999, the fourth-deadliest school massacre in history took place at Columbine High School located in Columbine (Sakas 2018). The two students responsible for this incident were Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold. They were responsible for killing twelve students and one teacher, and also injuring another twenty-one students in the massacre. The two young men used two nine-millimeter handguns and two twelve-gauge shotguns by sawing off the barrels and the butts of the guns to make them easier to carry and conceal while walking into the school (CSGV.org). The boys bought the firearms from a local gun show by convincing someone of age to buy them and they purchased the handguns through a person that they had met at work (CSGV.org). A simple gun show was the beginning of a tragic massacre that devastated the nation.

After the shooting happened, it seemed like everyone wanted to talk about everything, but gun control was stated in German Lopez’s article on the Columbine Shooting 20 years later (Lopez 2019). Politicians blamed video games like Doom. They blamed Marilyn Manson. They pointed to bullying but no one called out the real problem which is still true to this day… guns. Whether it’s Columbine or any other school shooting that has taken place, the bottom line issue is that the people who have twisted motives were able to obtain extremely deadly weapons that took the lives of everyone.

As I have done my research on being pro-gun laws I realized I notice that America’s loose access to guns is a major reason the US is so much worse in terms of gun violence than any other country. According to Lopez’s article again, in the US, even a background check isn’t a total requirement needed to purchase a gun; the current federal law is poorly enforced and has many ways to go around needing one. But even if a state has stricter rules than federal gun laws, someone can easily cross state lines to buy a gun where it is simpler to do so. Another factor s that the US has a surplus amount of guns. It has far more than any other country period. Estimated for 2017, the number of civilian-owned firearms in the US was 120.5 guns per 100 residents, meaning there were more firearms than people (Lopez 2019). The statistics on this topic are wildly astounding and it is why we, as a country, need to continue to fight for gun laws so that we can prevent these senseless mass shootings.

The point of my paper was to address the early years of mass school shootings and why gun restrictions need to be put in place. As times have changed over the years, gun control has become increasingly urgent to prevent unnecessary crime and killings. But the terrible reality is that strongly motivated and premeditated violence, especially done by killers willing to die, are among the hardest violent acts to prevent, no matter what measures one might take to do so. Gun control may not prevent tragedies like the one in Columbine, but they will lessen the chances of a lot of other, smaller tragedies that receive less publicity but still cause devastating pain.

With the increase in technology today, violence has been able to manifest itself in every part of the country worldwide. Today, every country, society, and town is faced with some form of violence. In my entire life, I have to admit that there have been numerous injuries as well as death caused by gun violence. Today, the most controversial issue in America is gun control. This issue concerning gun control has been debated by politicians and lawmakers for quite a long time, most probably ever since the use of guns was invented in America.

The gun is a small thing, yet a hazardous factor that destroys our lives. Studies conducted on the use of guns by Americans have shown that more than 30,000 individuals in America have died because of firearms (Barry et al, 2018). The increase in the number of people dying from the use of firearms, it has led to division in our country. Some people hold to the belief that people should continue to possess guns while other people are strongly against the use of people owning guns since it affects the peacefulness of the country.

With the increase in the number of the United States population, the number in which citizens own guns increases as well. Research conducted on the numbers of individuals possessing guns in the United States has indicated that the country has about one hundred and twenty guns per one hundred individuals (Barry et al, 2018). Out of this population of individuals owning guns, thirty-five percent of them include men while women sum up to twelve percent (Barry et al, 2018). In my opinion, I do believe that it is the pervasive gun culture of our country that comes from our colonial history that has prompted people to own one or more guns.

Remarkably, guns were common in the American colonial period. The guns were mainly used for hunting as well as offer protection (Cukier & Eagen, 2018). In other words, guns were used to offer self-protection to individuals and their family members. The guns were later used as weapons by the military in the American Revolutionary War (Cukier & Eagen, 2018). During these colonial periods, both men and women were allowed to own or possess their own guns. Similarly, the second amendment, which was ratified in the year 1791 on the fifth December, emphasized the importance of people possessing guns (Cukier & Eagen, 2018). Therefore, I do believe that the colonies owning their own guns during the colonial period and the formation of the second amendment, it has greatly fueled the continuous debate we have today about gun rights.

Today, the National Rifle Association in the United States has proved to be the strongest opponent in Washington that advocates for people to own guns. In other words, the National Rifle Association tends to have a powerful voice for gun owners’ rights across the entire country (Cukier & Eagen, 2018). They ensure that they battle all attempts to pass gun control legislation at all levels of the country (Cukier & Eagen, 2018). Aside from the National Rifle Association, other groups that support the legislation of gun control include the National Shooting Sports Foundation as well as the National Association for Gun Rights (Cukier & Eagen, 2018). All these groups have today played a significant role in fighting for the rights of American citizens to own guns. They mostly base their arguments on the second amendment constitution found in the American bill of rights.

The debate regarding gun control has been mainly controlled by the Republicans. Their main agenda was to favor the use of guns by individuals with regard to the use of money. In the year 2016, all towns in the country spent about one million dollars in lobbying for guns control (Brody, 2018). The National Rifle Association spent more as compared to other groups to encourage their member participation in owning guns. In the year 2017, the government spent about 11.4 million dollars to restrict people’s ability to purchase as well as use firearms (Brody, 2018). During the reign of President Obama, two pro-gun legislation were signed and implemented into the law. People were allowed to carry guns in national parks (Brody, 2018). Additionally, the second piece of the pro-gun legislation signed by President Obama, allowed passengers to carry arms in tartan baggage. In other words, the second piece of pro-gun legislation was invalidating a legislation ban passed after September eleventh (Brody, 2018). In the year 2017, President Donald Trump signed legislation to avert the Social Security Administration from giving out information to the National Instant Criminal Background Check System (Brody, 2018). With his administration to power, it has chipped away firearm regulations. It has also made it easier for a few individuals to buy firearms if they tend to have an exceptional warrant arrest

It is evidently clear that with the tremendous increase in technology in America, there is an increase in the number of individuals possessing firearms. Most citizens in America do agree with the second amendment that people should have their own guns for their protection. However, with the increase in the number of death and injuries caused to people due to the use of firearms, people have begun to debate whether it’s beneficial for individuals to pose guns. Based on research conducted on the United States population, it was indicated that more than thirty-eight thousand individuals die due to gunshots wounds in the year 2016 (Barry et al, 2018). In addition to that, one of the most horrific tragedies that caught the attention of most people in America is the killing of twenty elementary school children by Adam Lanza in the year 2012 (Barry et al, 2018). In the year 2017, fifty-eight individuals were killed in Las Vegas (Barry et al, 2018). Therefore, with the increase in the number of individuals dying due to the use of firearms, it is clear that gun violence is undeniable and the best solution to curb these incidences is by mainly controlling the use of guns.

With the increase of people owning guns in America and the increase in gun violence, I do believe that there must be a restriction on people’s gun usage as well as posses, so as to prevent or avoid further tragedies. In other words, gun control helps to provide self-defense among people (Barry et al, 2018). The government has to ensure that it limits the people’s possession of firearms. They should implement laws that will restrict more people from purchasing firearms. A person in possession of a gun should be of sound mind. Studies from America’s defense force has indicated that over seventy-five percent of the mass shooting killing that happened in the past thirty years were as a result of legally authorized guns (Barry et al, 2018). By the government taking control of people possessing dangerous weapons, they will be in a position to offer safety to all individuals in the country.

Another reason for restricting or banning the possession of guns by individuals is that it helps to decrease suicide rates. Studies done on ways of improving and maintaining the safety of people in a country have shown that in 90% of the countries where the use of guns has been restricted, there is a decrease in criminal cases such as suicide and massive killing (Brody, 2018). This is because, most individuals in countries where guns have been banned, lack the means of destructive behavior by using guns, which proves to be the most effective way of committing suicide. The government of the United States of America has, therefore, proved to be effective in protecting their citizens’ rights to live to ban the possession of guns to mentally disturbed people. In my opinion, I do believe that the country has significantly reduced suicide rates, which posed to be a threat in the previous year (Brody, 2018). People tend to use other means such as poison to kill themselves but they are not as effective as using a gun.

Moreover, gun control helps to reduce accidents that are mainly caused by guns. Gun control has proved to be effective in reducing some accidents that are brought about by improper handling of guns by people. People with gun possession, basically feel that they are in control. According to Haines (2018), gun possession normally comes with power. This makes people feel that what they say and what they believe is true. Gun control laws are basically required so as to protect women from some domestic violence from their abusive husbands. Every day in the United States, women are killed by their husbands by using guns (Brody, 2018). If a gun is presented every time a domestic disagreement then women’s risks of being murdered will increase by 90% (Brody, 2018). The government should, therefore, ensure they control the use of guns of individuals.

I do believe that with the increase in population growth and more individuals being educated, more crime rates have increased in the United States. As a result of this, it becomes difficult for policemen to provide or offer protection to everyone in the country. Hence, people with licensed guns can use weapons to protect themselves from any form of violence from intruders. With regard to the NRA, guns are utilized every year by more than two million people in self-defense (Brody, 2018). This is because; the police force cannot at all times protect people from burglaries. At the same instance including the time they might arrive at a crime scene, sometimes a bit too late and result in further injuries and possibly even tragic incidents.

Likewise, gun control implementations are not necessarily needed to prevent gun deaths. In my opinion, I do believe that education on guns is the best method to prevent accidental death caused by guns. Studies on America’s population have indicated that ninety-five percent of individuals with guns do believe that all children should be educated on gun safety (Brody, 2018). It is evidently true that guns do not murder individuals but people kill individuals. Therefore, more individuals tend to need more mental screening as well as education to help prevent mass murder (Brody, 2018). The government should strive to ensure that all people are educated about the usage of guns. Furthermore, stern gun control by the government can make individuals be more dependent on the government states, hence making them become helpless. In other words, they become unable to take care of themselves.

Today, the use of guns has resulted in gun violence, which is a complex problem. Gun violence needs some based-equipped solutions to solve the problem. Based on my observations from politics today, it is evidently clear that the increased massive shooting rate has impelled the most powerful debate regarding gun laws (Cukier & Eagen, 2018). Similarly, the killing of the twenty children at Sandy Hook Elementary School in the year 2012 by Adam Lanza has tremendously increased the debate concerning gun laws (Cukier & Eagen, 2018). Politicians in Washington are discussing the new legislation as well as the actions against the killing of seventeen individuals at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School (Cukier & Eagen, 2018). President Donald Trump and also lawmakers have come with policies regarding the utilization of guns by individuals in the country.

The government has therefore increased the age in order to purchase a gun. President Donald Trump has called for raising the age of buying guns by individuals (Cukier & Eagen, 2018). According to President Trump, the minimum age for one to purchase a gun or be in a position of handling a gun is by the age of twenty-one (Cukier & Eagen, 2018). In my opinion, I strongly agree with the president’s claim. This is because, by the age of twenty-one, one is in a position to be responsible for their actions and they are proven to be of sound mind. The president goes further to claim that teachers should be encouraged with some proper training to carry a gun. I do believe that with the teachers being in a position to use guns properly, they will be in a position to prevent some massive massacres that happen in school settings.

In recent years, gun control has become one of the hottest topics in our politics today. To some individuals, there seems to be no need for more gun control. On the other hand, others still believe that the government should improve and continue implementing more laws with regard to the utilization of guns by people. Despite many people believing that gun control will limit as well as violate their human rights on owning guns, I strongly believe that the government implemented policies on gun control can help many societies. Gun control will help people to live harmoniously with other people, hence making them feel safe.

On April 20, 1999, Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold walked into Columbine High School in Columbine, Colorado, however this day was different than all the rest. What happened that day would come to be known as The Columbine High School Massacre. Harris and Klebold killed 12 of their fellow students and a teacher before commiting suicide in the school library (“Columbine High School Shooting Fast Facts”). Cassie Bernall, 17, Steven Curnow, 14, Corey Depooter, 17, Kelly Fleming, 16, Matthew Ketcher, 16, Daniel Mauser, 15, Daniel Rohrbough, 15, William “Dave” Sanders, 47, Rachel Scott, 17, Isaiah Shoels, 18, John Tomlin, 16, Lauren Townsend, 18, and Kyle Velasquez, 16, will never swim in a lake, will never watch the sunset, will never even simply walk down the street again (“Columbine High School Shooting Fast Facts”). A world of possibilities was stolen from them and the world we live in will never be the same. Since April 20, 1999, everyone has asked the same question: How could this happen?

People tried to come up with reasons behind why they did what they did. People came up with many theories. Everyone grasped for answers. Many blamed music, media, video games, and more. People blamed easy access to guns, racism, neo-nazism, a wall between church and state that had grown too strong, or the boys were simply “bad seeds”(Gerdes). The real answers are within Harris and Klebold’s psychology. “…Dave Cullen, author of the 2009 book Columbine, described Harris as the “callously brutal mastermind” while Klebold was a “quivering depressive”…”(“Columbine Shooting”). Harris and Klebold latched onto each other. Their friendship turned toxic and eventually fatal. There were, of course, signs as to what they were planning. About a year earlier Harris and Klebold had broken into a van and stolen electronics. They were placed in a diversion program but graduated early (Gerdes). There were little signs but in reality no one saw what was coming. This was a mistake no one wanted to make again.

America was changed forever after April 20, 1999. America never truly healed. Today’s students live in constant fear, not of tests but of AK-47s. There has been a school shooting almost every month for the past 20 years (Cullen). However, not much was learned. Eleven days after the shooting the NRA held a meeting a short distance from the school (Gerdes). People continue to push this problem away, as if it is not happening. On April 20, 1999 thirteen innocent people lost their lives while going through a normal day at school. That should have been enough to spark change but instead countless others have lost their lives in tragedies such as Virginia Tech, Sandy Hook, and Parkland. Still, it is as if we have learned nothing. Someone needs to shine a light on the truth. In 2016 Sue Klebold published a book titled A Mother’s Reckoning. We should learn from people’s lives and first hand experiences that way no more lives are lost. “When we can do a better job of helping people before their lives are in crisis, the world will become safer for all of us”(Klebold).

My generation was born after Columbine. “We have all grown up conditioned to be afraid. And we are sick and tired of being afraid”(Hogg). We have had active shooter drills since kindergarten. We have never lived in a world where school is safe. One would assume something as devastating as Columbine would have sparked change. However, it seems to have done the opposite. Since April 20, 1999 over 200 people have died in school shootings (Hogg). Columbine set off a domino effect that we are still experiencing nearly 20 years after the shooting. Today’s students are still living in the aftermath. In 2012 Adam Lanza showed up at Sandy Hook Elementary School and killed 26 people. Found with Adam Lanza’s belongings was Columbine memorabilia (Klebold). In 2012, I was seven years old. I was in the second grade. The 20 children that died should be starting high school next year, just like me. It could have been me. It could have been my friends. Too many people have lost their lives for us to sit back and do nothing.

We need to learn from Columbine. The biggest lesson to be learned from Columbine is “If you see something, say something”. Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold did not hide everything they were planning. If someone says/posts/does something concerning report it. Even if it’s just a joke we are far past this being a joking matter. Children are losing their lives. However, we cannot live in fear. “Their vision was to create a nightmare so devastating and apocalyptic that the entire world would shudder in their power”(“The Depressive and The Psychopath”). We cannot let them win. We need to be strong. A simple joke about a school shooting could be them letting someone see inside. You can never be too careful. We need to come together and stand up for the youth of our nation. We are Marjory Stoneman Douglas strong. We are Virginia Tech strong. We are Sandy Hook strong. We are Columbine strong.