When I found out that a mass shooting devastated my school, Florida State University, on April 17, I was sitting a little over a mile away, at the Florida State Capitol, where our lawmakers are currently trying to pass a bill that would make it easier for teenagers ages 18 and older to get their hands on a gun. It was a strange and chilling juxtaposition, as my friends were sharing their testimonies on social media of having to shelter in place and watching students on TV flee from buildings with their hands over their heads, while I was advocating for better gun safety.
Sadly, this is an all-too-real depiction of what it is like to grow up in a state where gun violence is not recognized by our lawmakers as the crisis it is. It’s also a clear sign that students like me can’t turn a blind eye to the fact that we aren’t safe anywhere, especially not in school. This is why many of us have turned to activism. We’ve joined groups like Students Demand Action, who are committed to fighting for stronger gun safety laws and against misguided, dangerous efforts to put more guns in our communities.
But despite our shouting and pleas for change, there is a clear disconnect between what is happening in our legislature and what is happening in our classrooms. As a result, our FSU community is forever changed. When I walked back to my dorm the night of the shooting, the feeling of safety that we once had was shattered, and I’m not sure that we will ever get it back.
But we can try.
Now is the time for us to finally bridge that disconnect. We can’t let the devastation that happened turn our campus into a place of ruin and fear. We have to honor the two people who were shot and killed and the countless others who are now survivors. We must take action. It’s time for us to call our lawmakers and force them to look, really look, at what is happening and make them understand they have the power to help us, protect us, and support us in our desire to simply attend school without being shot. The tragedy at FSU demonstrates that gun violence is not limited to any specific community. It can happen to any person at any time, anywhere or in any situation, especially when you live in a state that prioritizes a bullet over a body.
Right now, our lawmakers are considering a measure that would lower the age to buy a gun from 21 down to 18. But more guns in the hands of teenagers isn’t going to make us safer; we’ve seen just how deadly the consequences can be when a young person gets their hands on a gun and uses it for evil. We can’t make it easier for teenagers to get firearms, and that’s why we need to block this deadly bill. We should be calling on our lawmakers to prioritize passing a stronger secure storage law that requires gun owners to securely store their firearms anytime they are not in use — which could keep deadly firearms out of the hands of children or any other unauthorized user — and could help to prevent shootings like the one we experienced at Florida State University just days ago.
Prayer and hope are two of the most valuable tools that we can have as activists, and I’m holding on to both of them as my school heals from this tragedy. But I’m also prepared to take action to prevent another tragedy from happening in Florida, and it’s incumbent upon all of us to do the same.