As an American college student living in an era of gun violence, I'm terrified. After the shooting at Parkland, it really hit me how big of a problem this is for our country. We're not even halfway through 2018, and most online statistics estimate we've had over 20 attempted school shootings this year. My heart aches just having to type that out.
But I do think there's something we can do about it.
Until higher authorities like the government and schools make their own changes, we likely won't see the shift toward peace we desperately desire. However, the American people can do their part to help.
Every time a shooting happens or is attempted, what is the first thing news outlets do? As soon as possible, they plaster the face and name of the shooter on every television screen and social medium. They say it's because the public has a right to know who killed their fellow Americans, but speaking from a psychological standpoint, all this truly does is two things: one, terrify the public, and two, glorify the shooter.
Of course, the average American looking at their television and seeing a school shooter doesn't praise him, but we spend so much time focused on the shooter he becomes an infamous celebrity. We remember the name of the shooter at Parkland. We remember the face of the shooter at Santa Fe. And this is something future killers recognize.
This isn't with every mass murderer, but often one of their motivations is to be famous for their horrendous act. And once we share their faces, names, and stories, and associate them with the crime, they get the fame they wanted. My argument truly is that we are so focused on releasing the latest shooting story out to the public, whether it be for business reasons or just human curiosity, that we forget how much it benefits the shooter.
Putting a mass killer on a pedestal is the last thing we should do.
Not only does it push the victims down as less important in the eyes of the media and the public, it shows other mentally ill people that if you hurt your country and its people you'll be glorified for it. An ill student in the shadows sees what a previous shooter did as an accomplishment, something to be recognized for, and decides he can do worse and be even more famous.
Maybe as a regular citizen, we cannot change much. Between our access to weaponry, lack of mental health assistance, and national craving to be and make others famous, America is in trouble with school shootings and other mass shootings, and true change will take legal action. But don't forget the responsibilities of citizens—our social responsibilities.
Let's remember the victims, and the ways to prevent future violence. Let's show mentally ill students that hurting their peers will not make them remembered. Let's tell the media that we don't care about knowing who killed people, but rather who was killed. Taking the focus away from the shooter, in my opinion, and as I've seen through my research, may be a key to reducing our national gun violence issue.
Politically, the country can't agree on what action to take, but we can all agree that these criminals deserve no satisfaction.
