Content warning: The following article contains mentions of shootings, death and violence. Please exercise caution when reading about these sensitive subjects.
Opinion: America, We Can’t Lose Another Life to Gun Violence.
Forty-five. Let that number sink into your mind. What significance could it hold? It symbolizes the amount of school shootings that have occurred just this year. Forty-five instances of students and teachers fearing for—and losing–their lives. Forty-five occasions where permanent grief settled upon families.
America, enough is enough. It is time for things to change. But how does this happen? Put plainly, it starts with us. It starts with electing leaders who believe in common-sense gun laws, as well as making access to free mental health and rehabilitation resources a priority.
On Sept. 4, a school shooting happened at Apalachee High School in Georgia. A 14-year-old suspect has been identified and will be tried as an adult, along with his father who owned the gun used by the shooter. During the shooting, which took place around 9 a.m., four people were killed and nine were
The events which unfolded were tragic, but our country has sadly become desensitized to the harrowing impacts of shootings. How many more lives have to be lost for change to be brought about? When will our country lose enough lives for legislators to make a change?
As a high school student, there is always a looming fear of my school becoming a victim of a shooting. Of course, there is ample security and procedures are drilled into our minds, but the fear is always present. It is not uncommon to hear about threats being made against the school, and then having to go through a day as if nothing is wrong. In fact, fear is an inhibiting factor which should not be the predominant emotion in a learning environment. Students should not be passing in between classes and having to wonder where the best hiding spot would be. Students should not be trained to become survivors. Might I remind you that we’re supposed to be here solely for the purpose of learning?
I’m aware of how controversial gun laws are as an issue in this country, which is why I’m not asking for all guns to be banned. I’m asking for common sense gun laws, which includes the elimination of the AR-15 assault rifle. The Democrat’s ongoing proposition of ‘Red Flag Gun Laws’ from 2021 would allow for individuals who pose a threat to themselves or others to not be permitted to purchase a firearm. These laws would prohibit the ability to simply walk into a store and buy a gun without proper certification. It would evidently save lives as well as prevent firearms from falling into the wrong hands. Additionally, eliminating the legality of the AR-15 assault weapons would be an important step toward saving more lives. Before AR-15s were legal to the public, mass shootings didn’t happen to the extent in which they occur today. Through both the implementation of common sense gun laws and the elimination of the AR-15 assault rifle, mass shootings within schools would drastically decrease.
Personal freedom is an essential piece of the American identity, and common sense gun laws do not strive to take that away. Instead, they aim to limit the amount of dangerous individuals who may want to purchase a gun, as well as eliminating assault rifles to the public. By doing so, public life becomes safer, and fear will not be the reigning factor in the learning experience.
While it is necessary that common sense gun laws are put into place, rehabilitation resources and mental health care should be bolstered. It has been proven that individuals with a history of domestic violence are more likely to commit mass shootings. Many mass shooters provoke concern within family members and classmates.
In order for our country to be safer, mental health care must be improved. This involves stressing the importance of having a strong support system, which can include ensuring that students have an easy way to reach a counselor at school, as well as being communicative with family and friends. It also includes healthcare companies making therapy accessible for all, by allowing insurance companies to cover more of the expensive cost. Overall, if you observe something that may be indicative of violence, report it. A common platform used in MT school is Safe2Say, an anonymous tip program. Reports will be sent to the appropriate authorities, effectively preventing potential violence from occurring.
However, it is crucial to note that mental health is not the only reason why mass shootings occur. While it may be a factor, simply having depression or anxiety does not make you a violent person. There are plenty of headlines which label mass shooters as depressed and violent, but there is no direct correlation between being depressed and being violent. A more prominent factor is substance abuse, which care must be increased for. Rehabilitation resources must be made free for all, or at least covered by insurance. Instead of throwing people into jail when they clearly need other forms of support, sending them to a rehabilitation center would be much more effective. Our country places an emphasis on punishment rather than rehabilitation, which I believe is a faulty way to treat addiction. By doing what we can to eliminate the obvious crisis of substance abuse, violence can be greatly decreased.
We all hold the capacity to be advocates for what’s right, to harbor change. The right to a child’s life should always trump the right to bear arms. It is crucial that our country is voting for politicians who enforce common-sense gun laws and prioritize lives over the personal freedom to bear arms. With the right politicians, we can all work together to change the current laws in place and make our country a place where access to mental health resources are a main priority.
How many lives lost will it take for us to say “enough is enough?” We have not come this far as a country to become desensitized to violence by guns. Change is urgently needed, and we are not hopeless. Together, we can fight for what’s right. Join me by using your voice to advocate for the safety of students everywhere. We all hold the capacity to be advocates for what’s right, to harbor change. Vote for leaders who advocate for common-sense gun laws. Everyone has the ability to use their voice for good, and it is our duty to do so. America, change is on the horizon.
