As I scroll through articles about school shootings, I am struck by their headlines. “Another shooting, another gun debate. Will the outcome be the same?”; “Do we love our guns more than our children?”; “After the 18th school shooting of 2018, have we not had enough?”. Following everything that has happened, I am appalled by how our country’s leaders and politicians can stand so idly by. Doesn’t the fact that people are questioning whether the country loves its children more than its guns show that something is seriously wrong?
Our country has experienced many high-profile mass shootings in history, all of which should have been a sufficient enough reason to bring about stricter gun control regulations. Recently, there have been shootings in Las Vegas, a church at Sutherland Springs, an Orlando nightclub, and Umpqua Community College. That’s only in the past three years and doesn’t even include the shootings at Sandy Hook Elementary School and Virginia Tech, two of our nation’s most senseless shootings.
I am tired of living in a cycle where we keep choosing our own violence and trauma over solutions.
The truth is that the 17 students who were recently murdered in the Parkland shooting were growing up — or trying to grow up, for that matter — in a country that didn’t put their safety in its best interest. Enough is enough. And I think the people who lost their lives to our many mass shootings would agree.
So why aren’t we doing something about it? Especially after Parkland, we cannot ignore the fact that gun control is a major issue in our country. While the Second Amendment gives people the right to have guns, times have changed and technologies have evolved. Mass shootings occur when assault rifles fall into the wrong hands. By installing stricter gun control laws, like extensive background checks, we can enforce gun safety while still honoring the Second amendment and not stripping people of the right to bear arms.
Of course, I’m just a high school student, so I can’t vote yet and I don’t wish to imply that I have a perfect solution elaborately planned out. But there are people in this country who can vote, that is to say they have the power to make great strides in the effort to steer our country in right direction. Those are the grownups. In third grade, I read a book called The Kid Who Ran For President. In the book, a twelve year-old boy runs for president because he believes that the he cannot possibly do worse than grownups have. The election result? Apparently the grownups agree; he wins. When I hear about Parkland’s high school students, who are extremely involved and insistent to bring about change, I am inspired by their awareness of our country’s issue and determination to seek change. At the same time, I am reminded of this book; the focus of the students at Parkland (and across the country) should be to learn, play with their friends, build character, and prepare for their futures. While my generation is one that is willing to step up to fix the mistakes of previous generations, this inevitably gets frustrating when no one seems to be listening to us. In the end, it is our country’s politicians and leaders who should be driving the change that our country needs, not students.
The Kid Who Ran For President is a comedic story that is based off of the belief that our government is so messed up that even a naïve child could do better. The story is intended to be ridiculous — let’s not let it become a reality.
I will nevertheless stand by my opinion and not stop voicing it. Blaming people for these shootings is of less importance than seeking solutions. Frankly, there is not just one person or group to blame: the Republican Party and NRA are continuing to allow people to have guns, the shooter is responsible for his own actions, and the Democratic Party lacks the organization and votes to change anything. We have to continue pressuring our country’s politicians to install stricture gun control laws, so that we and future generations can live in a country in which we feel safe. Change begins with contributing to polls, participating in national walkouts, and voting the individuals who do not prioritize safety out of office.
Do it for the children who have lost their lives in school shootings, for future generations, and for ourselves.
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