227 years ago our founding fathers granted us the right to bear arms. 227 years ago America was threatened day after day by the tyrannical British monarchy. 227 years ago there was a logical appeal to possessing a gun at the mere age of 18. The safety of Americans was constantly threatened and there was a naturalility to feeling unprotected throughout most American streets and even the homes of citizens. 227 years later, America has thrived into a divided, uncivil nation- and that’s exactly the point. No matter what America may be described as today, the consensus between all people- whether those people are white, black, straight, gay, Asian, Hispanic, Arab, Christian, Jewish, liberal, conservative- is that America has grown. In simplest terms, America is not the country it was 227 years ago. This is a nation that over 320 million people call home. This is a nation that has evolved into a violent, aggressive country that is constantly threatened by its own laws, representatives, and tragically, its own citizens. There should be no reason for a teenager to be in possession of a gun. Not a fully-automatic, not a semi-automatic, not even a handgun. Period. Provided that America has inane gun laws in place, it’s zany to act stunned by these catastrophic incidents. Lives have been lost before and they will continue to be lost unless something- anything- is done. There is a need for abrupt reform. Teenageers should not be given the right to purchase a firearm without any sort of background check or interrogation. In fact, no person of any age should be bestowed this right. The lives of American citizens are constantly threatened by the nation’s own hypocritical laws. With this idea in mind, one must be 21 before downing their first shot of vodka, but two years after acquiring their license they can purchase such firearms? Lives lost due to overconsumption of alcohol are lives lost that can be rightfully blamed on the consumer. Can the lives lost from a mass shooting be blamed on the victims? Can those threatened by these gun laws be the cause of their own deaths? It is more reasonable to grant citizens the right to be the cause of their own damages or deaths than to provide rationale behind a homicide of innocent adults and teenagers with experience to gain, stories to tell, and moments to live. In fear of my life, my friend’s lives, teacher’s lives, and academically enrolled citizens across America, I refuse to sit here all the while and email my congressman hoping for a change. This is an incident that has happened before and will continue to happen unless the correct reform is applied to the nation. Keep in mind, we are in the middle of February, the 18th to be exact, and, not to there have been about as many mass shootings as there have been days in 2018. As a matter of fact, over 30 mass shootings have occured in this short era of time and over 15 of those have been school shootings. Dozens of lives have been lost due to the stubbornness and relentlessness of the American government. I refuse to spectate on the issue and only wish well for the victims, witnesses, and families of victims. There is so much more we can do to help and support those in distress from the incident. Speaking out to Florida and assuring them that you will do “all in your power to help them” isn’t enough, nor is it a fulfilling statement, especially when you don’t act upon that promise. Our congressman, our president, our representatives, are deflecting questions and refusing to address the issue. 4 days have passed and no real legal action has been taken. At initiation, at the first school shooting America has seen, reform to our laws should’ve been put in place. 290 school shootings since 2013 can not be justified. Sandy Hook, Columbine, Parkland, can not just lie as statistics. One school shooting is one too many. The hearts of all people- white, black, straight, gay, Asian, Hispanic, Arab, Christian, Jewish, liberal, conservative- have unified to harmoniously stomp their feet down and make it understood that this is the last school shooting America will ever see. If our representatives fail to take action, it is now put into our hands. Parkland lies as the last school shooting to ever be televised, marketed, and to ever occur. One school shooting is one too many.
At the end of all this, it’s important to understand that I love you and care about you and that none of us have to endure such a catastrophic situation that thousands of Americans have endured. Stay alert. Be aware of your surroundings. If you see anything suspicious, don’t be hesitant to report it. Your confessions could save the lives of your friends, teachers, and classmates. Take care.
