February 14th, 2018 was supposed to be a day of love, support, and appreciation of others. Instead, February 14th, 2018 in America became a day of hatred and sadness. I know this is another article about the mass shooting at Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida. But, just hear me out ok.
Ever since the Sandy Hook shooting back in 2012, mass shootings have become more and more frequent. Parkland was the 18th school shooting this year, and we are only in February. Connecticut Senator, Chris Murphy, said, “this happens nowhere else other than the United States of America — this epidemic of mass slaughter, this scourge of school shooting after school shooting… We are responsible for a level of mass atrocity that happens in this country with zero parallel anywhere else.” Former CIA and FBI official, Philip Mudd broke down into tears on live television when asked about the shooting.“A child of God is dead. Can not we acknowledge in this country that we cannot accept this?”
Mudd is right. I don’t know about you, but I am tired of hearing about mass shootings. I am tired of hearing victim counts. I am tired of seeing parents, family members, teachers, survivors, and children go through an unimaginable emotional roller coaster. I am tired of accepting and allowing more mass shootings to happen.
I am just a young college student, who has never experienced a horrific event like this. And, I know I don’t really have the right to say that I am tired of mass shootings. But I am part of the problem! I allowed myself for years to believe that authorities and politicians would not let an event like at Virginia Tech or at the University of Texas to happen again. Tat my only role as an American was just to send prays to the victims and their families. After hearing, Emma Gonzalez, speech from a gun control rally on Saturday. I call BS on myself!
Gonzalez and her peers have empowered me not to stay quiet anymore! That we, the United States, have to change the second amendment rights. That “we, the people,” need to make sure that event like this doesn’t happen ever again in any public space to anyone! Parkland, Florida will not only be known as the town that suffered but the town that started a revolution.
March 24, Parkland shooting survivors and others that have been affected by the mass shooting, is organizing a march in Washington D.C. called “March For Our Lives.”