Since 2013, there have been 150 school shootings across the nation. Some have gone unnoticed and others have gained national recognition. With each shooting, the nation becomes less and less surprised, and this should not to the case. As each tragedy occurs, year after year, it is a shame that we as a society become immune to the violence and death in these events. If the media continues to broadcast these stories, little is being done to put an end to them or try to understand them. Few things are understood, we know the place, we know the actions taken, and we know the shooter(s) who committed the crimes, but we do not know or know little about why and what caused the actions to occur. The media will always proclaim the shooter was bullied as a kid, he was quiet and shy with few to no friends, he was the outcast who was weird, or they blame a mental illness. These accusations might be true, but in the end, they are just accusations, words to make the public think we know what the cause was. Sure, the shooter is to blame, but what about society as a whole? It sounds horrible to blame society for the violence and deaths of hundreds of victims, but society is the cause of most violence.
Each shooting teaches us something:
1. Guns kill, but it is the person holding the gun decides to pull the trigger.
Guns are means of protection and when placed in the hands of an individual it is their decision whether to use it for protection or harm.
2. Mental illness should not be criticized for the harm of others.
One man went mad and decided to act as the Joker. This does not mean all individuals with his condition will do the same, nor should individuals with mental illnesses be ridiculed as though they are criminals.
3. Society needs to bring awareness to such events.
It should not take another shooting for the President of the United States to make a speech about gun violence. Policy-makers need to focus on action plans and the future of this nation's gun violence. Individuals who are in support of gun rights need to think of why we have them in the first place and why they support the usage of guns.
4. We need to stop continually stating the shooter's name.
He/she is not a person the nation should be constantly talking about; the victims should be the main focus. Name the shooter once and have it be done with. Do not talk to the families, leave them be. We are giving too much recognition to someone who does not need it. Society is creating a spot in history for that individual.
Tragedies of the past few years cannot keep occurring. With each passing event, the nation as a whole becomes numb to the violence and chaos, and that cannot be the case. From each event, we need to learn and grow from the mistakes, otherwise there will continue to be violence and terror in our homes.
