Students Remain Fearful Of The Future Gun Violence In America

In order to stop mass shootings in America, lawmakers need to start a public conversation with the American people.

In Parkland, FL on Feb. 14, there was a school shooting with a death toll of 17 students and staff.

Many authoritative voices are giving their condolences in light of these horrific events. However, many students that are the surviving victims of this violence have called for lawmakers and representatives to keep their thoughts and prayers to themselves.

These children, which the Washington Post so eloquently called “a post-Columbine generation,” have been calling for change in how America treats guns and gun violence. They believe that the government has let them down.

Many teachers and students have spoken out against representatives. They have also stated that the school faculty could not have been any more prepared for this tragic event. The students go through multiple drills to prepare them for the possibility of an event like what took place in Parkland.

However, nothing can prepare someone for this act of violence.

The overwhelming amount of videos of the event surged on social media. Many of these videos were posted on the day of the shooting and were shown on the news.

I was at Valentine’s dinner with my significant other when I heard about the event on my cell phone. I immediately began to read and watch what had happened. The first video that had appeared was a student’s posted Snapchat video.

It showed a classroom full of students huddling together crying when all of the sudden shots rang out. The terror that unfolded was enough to make anyone squirm.

While I was watching the events, my heart began to race. I was overcome with intense emotions that I can not even begin to describe.

Seeing the actual horror that unfolded that day through my phone had brought a new face to shootings. Social media has created a realm in which one does not have to imagine the pain, but can see it for themselves through a screen.

For many Americans, this was their first time ever seeing the events unfold and it shook many.

Growing up in a family of responsible gun owners who constantly taught me the correct way to handle a weapon, I can understand why many Americans feel that they should not be punished for someone else’s bad behavior.

However, I feel that Americans need to understand that the want for military grade weapons is insane. When has someone ever needed a weapon like the one used in the Parkland shooting in order to protect their home?

Weapons that can cause such destruction need to be regulated. I am in no way calling for the government to take the American peoples’ guns away. I, and many others, are calling for some kind of regulation so that people like the individual who murdered those students in Parkland can never obtain a weapon of that grade ever again.

Since this tragic event, I have felt fearful of the future. Students should not have to check behind them at all times. They should be able to come to school, work, or anywhere else and feel perfectly safe in that public environment.

A conversation between lawmakers and the people needs to happen before another event like Parkland takes place. No person should be able to destroy or end the life of another citizen so easily.