With the recent shooting in Parkland, it sparked the affected individuals to fight for change. This most recent school shooting has brought more people as well as student aware of what’s going on. The children that were in the school during the shooting have been protesting and using the media’s attention to give their voices more weight and reach others from around the nation. Though this is a very controversial topic, I believe that there should be a change to gun laws and mental health aid.
I personally come from a family of law enforcement, meaning I have a basic understanding of weapons and how they are used. My parents never had guns in our home, but we had samurai swords of different sizes in our basement that we all had access to. We were taught to never even touch them unless we absolutely needed to. However, that did not stop me, and probably my siblings, from at least taking the cover off the blade off and holding one when I was alone. I am the youngest child in my family, which led to my older sibling being the one that consistently bugged me to the point of rage. There were times I would kick and punch the door she was hiding from me behind, and I even broke a door with my foot. Needless to say I was kind of a violent child, as well as a depressed and anxious one. All of these traits are seen as warning sings, and I have never even considered shooting up my school.
As a future educator, I am absolutely terrified of going to work one day and not coming home to my family because a mentally unstable individual got a dangerous weapon legally and decided to use it to kill others. Sandy Hook Elementary was shot up in 2012, and I hoped that after young children and teachers were killed there would be a change in gun laws. Maybe making it illegal to purchase semi- automatic weapons, to modify these weapons to become automatic, and making it harder to obtain these weapons by having more thorough background checks. Having multiple evaluations to ensure the person purchasing the gun is able to handle it mentally and physically.
Unfortunately, there was no change then, there was no change after the Pulse mass shooting, where innocent LGBT individuals were murdered. In my lifetime, I have heard about possibly 10 deadly shootings, with examples being the Texas shootings, the Colorado movie theater, Sandy Hook, Las Vegas, Virginia Tech, San Bernardino, Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church, Columbine, and now Parkland. All of these the previous examples before Parkland got “thoughts and prayers” but no action. Since Parkland students, family, and staff are all speaking out and screaming from the rooftops for change to prevent this from ever happening again, there may actually be some type of change. Though I am sadly doubtful, the men and women in power may be pushed to make a move, in order to keep their positions.
No matter the opinion, I hope that the nation can come together as one in order to keep our children, as well as their educators, safe from this horrific trauma. If another mass shooting is allowed by the government to happen, then I hope the nation will become one in their outrage and press for change. Many movements in the history of our country were pushed by young adults, and though older generations see them as being rebellious or immature, when in actuality they are mature in attempting to create a society that is more progressive. Parkland was a mass shooting, and I pray it is the last.