They tell me that there was once a time when people didn’t have to worry about being gunned down in movie theaters, clubs or even schools. I can barely remember that time. As a kid, I grew up in a world where terrible crimes happened and nobody seemed to know how to stop them. It never bothered me too much when I heard of horrendous mass murders until I was older and understood that I could speak out against it.
The first large scale crime I can remember is when the World Trade Center was taken down by an airplane. I remember being in first grade and not understanding what was happening. I was only seven at the time. The teachers in my school were panicked. We were only little kids, and we could not comprehend the tragic loss that had just happened to America. I grew up hearing about “the war on terror”. My family members fought in the war, and all I could think about was, “why is this any of our business?”
The first mass shooting which hit close to home was in Aurora, Colorado. I was terrified that I could go to a movie theater and never come out alive. I was in high school at the time. I still get antsy in movie theaters and make sure to know where exits are just in case an emergency happens. I’m not strong or fit, so I’ve basically decided that I probably wouldn’t make it out alive.
The next shooting that devastated America was at Sandy Hook Elementary School. This one really hit home. I didn’t go to the movies often, so the previous situation could be avoided. I was a senior in high school when this happened. I went to school five days a week for more of my life than not. I couldn’t understand how someone could go into a school and murder several innocent children and adults. After this attack, I got antsy in school. I felt unsafe even though there was no reason for me to worry. My town got lucky and never had to face a tragedy.
I would soon be going to college where the scale of human bodies was much larger than my small high school. Mass shootings kept happening. They seemed to be happening everywhere and almost once a week. The most recent mass shooting has been getting an abundance of attention, but when will Americans forget this tragedy and stop mourning 49 peoples lost lives? How long will it be until we, as a nation, have to mourn the loss of another group of innocent people again?
When will we stand up as a nation and decide that we are tired of losing loved ones for no reason?
Over the weekend, I stumbled upon a pride parade during a mini vacation in Pittsburgh. That morning, I had heard the news of the attack in Orlando. I was nervous to be in the city with that many people celebrating pride, especially after learning that the shooting in Orlando was at a gay club. I’m tired of being scared and not living my life because of what could happen. There is no reason any person should be scared to go enjoy their lives. We need to stop these mass shootings.
I’m also tired of mental illness being a cover for people who commit these crimes. Mental illness is serious and should not be a veil to let criminals have a lessened sentence. Yes, there are people who have mental illnesses and commit heinous crimes. Stop blaming mental illness and hate. Love isn’t going to stop these crimes from happening.
We need reform on gun laws. I’m all for protecting yourself. However, we don’t need to protect ourselves with guns made for war. There hasn’t been a war on American soil since 1865. Powerful guns should not be in the hands of civilians. If we didn’t allow people to have war machines, maybe there wouldn’t be as many mass shootings. If a person tried to murder a large amount of people with a fork, they would not get far before they were apprehended. I believe that this is the same as guns. If we don’t have access to mass murdering machines, mass murders will stop happening. I understand that laws don’t always work and that people can buy guns illegally, but what else can we do?
Are we going to stand by and let more innocent people die?
It’s time someone decides to stop being numb to tragedy and do something to prevent it. We are so desensitized to tragedy and death that after this recent tragedy, people are happy that innocent people have died. What is the point of that? How could a person be so cruel? If that was their loved one, it would be a totally different story. We should be able to come together and mourn the lives of the victims no matter their race, gender, religious views or sexual orientation. At the end of the day, we’re all humans, and we all feel the same emotions. The families and loved ones affected by this tragedy should not have their feelings invalidated by emotionless robots.
I’m begging that we please come together in the face of this tragedy in Orlando. If we cannot come together in the face of a tragedy, how are we supposed to be united in times of happiness and peace? We can do more than mourn the loss of these strangers who died innocently. We can speak out and do our best to make changes. I was raised to believe that I can do anything if I put my mind to it. Most of my generation was raised on that idea. Let’s prove them right and make a change to make America safe again for everyone. There is no reason more innocent people should die. Please stand up to gun violence with me.
