Senator Marco Rubio addressed Congress last week after the heinous acts in the state of Florida. His message was one of a man whom has given up. Rubio stated that the deaths of students and teachers at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, still had nothing to do with the availability of an AR-15 rifle. He continued by saying what many of his fellow Republican members have echoed for years, that there is nothing they can do. No legislation or policy could ever change this situation, or even slow it down for that matter. The facts are that a deranged 19-year-old man, had the capability under the law in Florida, to purchase that gun. He then used this weapon in the commission of 17 murders. His possession of this weapon undoubtedly has something to do with this atrocity happening, but should it be our singular focus?
I want to propose a two-pronged reform plan. This plan disregards Republican "do nothing" rhetoric, as changing something as minor as the age limit for rifles could have possibly impacted the onset of this violence. I do however agree with republicans in the sense that a complete ban on guns will not solve our problem. My purpose is to devise a plan that helps mitigate this growing problem, while also gaining bipartisan support. The first prong of my reform plan is actual, common sense gun laws. This includes policy changes to the minimum age limit to posses a gun to 21 years-old. Then congress would implement a seven-day waiting period where a perspective gun owner could be denied. This possible denial could be on the grounds of suspicion of mental instability. Both of these legislative reforms could have thwarted Nikolas Cruz from owning his AR-15. Would he still have obtained a weapon by illegal means? Quite possibly. However, we all can agree its time to try something. As a responsible servant to they're constituents, it is the responsibility of Senator Rubio and others to attempt to change policy regarding gun ownership.
As we do need some sort of legislative reform, we equally need reform in the social realm. Parents, guardians, teachers, mentors, and anyone who impacts the lives of children on a daily basis needs to "cue in". We are responsible for these violent occurrences, which are perpetrated by American children in our schools. There needs to be a change in the way we approach our youth. They are growing up in a society that becomes increasingly more toxic by the day. We need to talk to them about how to love other people properly, and that saying something when you feel uncomfortable is okay. The amount of reports that have surfaced stating that students knew about the intentions of this young man is shocking. He made it incredibly clear to fellow classmates that he was going to do this. It is incredibly concerning that either these students didn't report Cruz to administration, or the administration just simply did not act. The second prong of my plan stems from this. Mental health and wellness needs to be on the forefront of priority in our schools. Education about the warning signs of depressive, homicidal behavior should become a required part of the curriculum in our public schools. This way, when students see someone who exhibits signs of being violent, they report it and most importantly stop ostracizing the individual.
The conclusion of my argument is that the continued disagreement on what to do about this problem is only setting us back. I think it is ignorant to believe that changing aspects of gun policy will not possibly be effective. Congress cannot sit idly by and do nothing while children die. However, these are our children. We are the first people they learn from. I think in tandem with the school, parents need to start creating a dialogue with they're children about this epidemic. Be kind, stay alert, and speak up when something isn't right. That message alone might stop the next shooting.
