This past Wednesday, on February 14^th, 17 lives were taken in Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida. Another school shooting. More innocent lives taken once again. Some were only kids not much younger than I am. This school shooting feels no different than past ones. You get your usual social media posts of people giving out thoughts and prayers to all those involved in the tragedy. Obviously, that is very nice and we should be doing that and offering help to those affected by any horrific shooting. I’m sure the families of the victims and members of the community greatly appreciate that. However, when will we say to ourselves enough is enough. Why do we still have to make these posts, why do we still have to see on the news that innocent lives were taken at the hands of a mad gunman? Yea, sure we’ve gotten your usual politician responses about ridding the world of evil, that we must remain vigilant and fight this. You get some politicians who begin the typical argument of should there be more gun laws? Or you get the other side saying gun laws won’t do anything to stop shootings in this country. I’ve personally have seen this happen time after time again. Right after a shooting people argue for reform, argue for change so we can fix this problem. Yet weeks go by and no one is talking about that reform anymore. It’s as if people only discuss this topic when its relevant.

So that means we’re basically going to wait for the next shooting to start talking about striving for change? If you’re reading this, I don’t want you to think I’m trying to argue about guns here. I’m not. Whatever your position is on guns is fine. How about instead of arguing and writing paragraphs to each other on social media, discussing random statistics and statements you got on god knows what random website off the internet, we all try to discuss how we can work towards change. A big thing I think communities should start doing is discussing the what ifs. As we have seen countless times in the news, this horrific, gut-wrenching event can happen anywhere at any time. That’s terrifying to think about.

What’s even more terrifying is the fact that the people of the Parkland community down in Florida did exactly what many people say to do when dealing with a mentally ill person who may have the intentions to kill. The shooter was expelled, wasn’t allowed on the campus with a backpack, and had complained about being bullied and talking about guns plenty of times, according to sources that interviewed classmates. What’s even more disturbing were his social media posts. I took the time to look them up on the internet.

Knives, racial slurs, all these equal what seems in today’s world to be your typical suspect to be a school shooter. I’ve read today where there was even tip to the FBI that warned about the shooter about a month ago. Yet, here we are. What else could have possibly been done? Here we are again talking about the same thing. Same thing as after the Las Vegas shooting, same thing after the Orlando nightclub shooting, the Virginia Tech shooting, the Sandy Hook shooting, the Sutherland Springs church shooting, and now this. The reason why I brought all those specific shootings up are because they all happened within the past 10 years.

Mass shootings in general, have consumed by generation ever since Columbine happened. This is the world my generation is forced to live in. We are losing young lives, young innocent lives because we are not fighting hard enough for change. I am sick of seeing on the news about another mass shooting, about another young life being taken. It’s to the point where people are not even shocked anymore. It’s as if this has become a normal occurrence in today’s society. The fact that we’ve come to that is awful. I’m sick of seeing the same gun debates time and time again only to accomplish nothing.

Is gun control the answer? I don’t know but instead of fighting about it lets figure out what we can do. This isn’t about politics anymore. What you should think about, are those parents and families waiting outside after all this happened. Waiting for their child to come out and tell them about how this was the craziest day of their life and that they’re so happy to see that their child is well and alive. The thing is, their child isn’t coming out. Their child is in the school still. And they’re not ever coming back out of there alive. Think for a second of the impact that must have. The feeling families and loved ones of victims must have after something like this, I cannot even begin to imagine, and I pray I never will have to.

I say that not to scare you, but to try to encourage us to be better. Not debate, but to think and find ways to find the change we need. No longer do I want this generation having to fear going to school, having to fear going to a concert, no longer having to fear just walking down the street at night. I read another article today from The New York Times about how the students from Stoneman Douglas High School first response was not to grieve but to speak out for change.

They started a Facebook page called “Never Again” where they describe their experience during the shooting and their perspectives about this topic. Quite honestly, they know plenty more about this than any politician ever will. So, let’s start listening to them now. Let’s start listening to the survivors and the loved ones of victims. That truly inspires me how those students have responded to this. Not with fear but with courage and fight in their heart for change. Let’s back their movement up, never again will we have to see the pictures of young faces of victims on the news. Never again will a parent be forced to see their child being buried, having to go through the rest of their lives wondering how they could have saved them. Never again will I have to write an article like this, discussing about finding change. Because hopefully we will have found it. Let’s make 2018 the year where we put all politics aside, all gun debates aside, and we truly strive for change in this country.

So, don’t just send prayers and thoughts to the victims and their families. Let’s make sure their deaths helped this generation change for the better. Before it’s too late again. For now, let us remember all the lives that were lost last Wednesday and hope for a better future.