Today is a sad day.
As soon as I left my Psychology 110 class, I turned my phone on to receive a ton of texts, FB messages, and GroupMe alerts that left me shocked and speechless, and not just because of how much my phone was buzzing.
Did you hear?!
This is so sad :(
Yo, I heard about the shooting. How are your folks? You didn't go to that high school, right?
It's been recanted by several sources already, but here it is again. The NY Times recaps it up best: "A heavily armed young man barged into his former high school about an hour northwest of Miami on Wednesday, opening fire on terrified students and teachers and leaving a death toll of 17 that could rise even higher, the authorities said. "
When I read "opening fire", my heart was set ablaze.
Another shooting. And still no signs of gun laws.
The article went on to say that the 19-year-old shooter had carefully planned the incident, going so far as to wear a gas mask, bring smoke grenades, and turn on the fire alarm so students would intentionally come out of their classrooms on their own accord.
Regarding the topic of school shootings itself, the article stated this:
"More than 40 “active shooter” episodes in schools have been recorded in the United States since 2000, according to F.B.I. and news reports. ..With the Parkland shooting, three of the 10 deadliest mass shootings in modern United States history have come in the last five months."
This is where I must beg the question: when will this madness end?
On the aforementioned article, a commenter named Eric O'Connell penned, "I am a teacher who thought after Columbine that "we" would get it, but no, then there was Sandy Hook and Virginia Tech, and too many, now..." As a student, and a Floridian, I couldn't agree more.
As sad as it is to say, school shootings like this are not new developments. As Mr. O'Connell said it perfectly, Columbine was a tragedy that shook us all to the core, and yet Sandy Hook happened...and Virginia Tech...history is literally repeating itself in the most tragic of ways, and yet, try as we might, it doesn't show signs of stopping.
But it is preventable. It can be stopped. But how?
You can implement as many drills in schools as you want, and formulate as many worst-case scenario blueprints as you need, but the truth of the matter is that what it comes down to is not the planning, but the people.
And their guns.
And the only way you can control people from committing such atrocities is by controlling access to guns.
I get it. This country isn’t safe. It’s a sad fact, but no one can walk down the street without their guard up, without a fear in the back of their mind that they might be robbed, raped, or even murdered. Guns are dangerous, yes, but how else can you protect yourself in this country nowadays? It's an ongoing debate, and will continue to be so for a while.
But this has been a continuing trend. People who shouldn’t have guns DO, and havoc has been wreaked. Columbine. Sandy Hook. Virginia Tech. And now Parkland. And how did all of these tragedies occurred?
Because of guns.
We've got to be much safer. We've got to be much stricter. We've got to be much more alert, and much more willing to help teenagers out. Who knows what would have happened if the shooter had gotten the psychiatric help he needed? Maybe the victims would still be alive, here with us today.
Today is a sad day. And so, today I pray. For brighter days, safer schools, and gun laws.
