Unless you have been in a cave for the past couple weeks, you have surely heard about the shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida. Today was their first day back in class since the terrible accident and people are still trying to recover from the life changing event. In case you have no clue what I am talking about, I'll explain briefly. On February 14, 2018 a mass shooting occurred in a high school in Florida. 17 people were killed and 14 more were taken to the hospital for injuries. The shooter was Nikolas Jacob Cruz. Since then many politicians including the president have even commented about new legislation and executive action. What makes this a tough subject is that kids were the victims here. People are looking right past the lives of the kids and looking to makes changes without taking time to remember the lives of the lost. Another thing that makes this a tough issue is that we aren't even sure what the issue is here. The obvious one that jumps right out is guns, but because tips were called in 2016 and 2017 that he was going to commit a school shooting, mental illness may be an issue here. Today I want to talk about some ways politicians are coming up with ways to reduce gun violence.
The first way would be stricter background checks. At gun shows someone can walk right in and buy a gun off of a vendor. A bill that first came up after the Sandy Hook Shooting would call for requiring background checks for purchases online and at guns shows. A study shows that 22% of gun sales occur without a background check. Cutting the number down would greatly reduce the amount of people that are not suppose to have a gun in the first place. Although this bill was not passed in 2013, talks about bringing it up again are in circulation. Another background check would try to stop the selling of guns to people on the "No Fly" list.
Another one that is talked about in daily conversation is to raise the age to buy guns. Currently to buy rifles legally in the United States, you must be 18 or older. This call to raise the age plans to increase it to 21 years or older.
One that is very popular is one I personally agree with is banning semi-auto rifles and/or modifications that make a weapon fire fully automatic. Having fired all types of gun with my uncles and cousins, I am aware of how much power are in these weapons. Having to fire 20 rounds in less then 3 seconds will never be needed to protect your house. On that note, I do believe it is justifiable to have a handgun of a small caliber for personal protection. If it is possible criminals could have one, you should be able to have one too.
The one I want to focus on today is that there are talks about arming teachers in the schools. Before I continue on this topic, I want to just give you some background. My mother has been a high school teachers for longer then I have been alive. I went to that high school, had her as a teacher(not a fun experience may I add) and would not think that giving her a gun would help reduce school shootings. Lets say its not my mother directly who would have the right to be armed in school. Lets say a teacher who is experienced in all types of firearms with history in the army is allowed to. In public high schools students outnumber the teachers by a huge ratio. If the students REALLY wanted to, I believe they would be able to overtake that teacher and disarm them of their weapon and even possibly use it against them. People also make mistakes, and mistakes are really not good when weapons are involved.
I hope after reading this you have your own opinion on the subjects. I also encourage you to read about other ways we could stop gun violence especially in schools. I ask that you write a comment below and discus with others about what you believe. One final request is that I hope you are able to respect other peoples opinion and just hear them out. They are not looking for a fight, just simply trying to discuss what they believe.
I also wrote a bit about this event but took a different focus and it was really nice to read more about the facts and the different ways people wish to approach gun control. Gun control has been a pressing issue for a long time now and if our country were to find a way to address both gun control and mental health, it could really change the dynamic of such mass shootings.
ReplyDeleteThis topic is unfortunately becoming more and more relevant in our world today. I can remember discussing this during middle school, and writing papers proposing legislation to reduce or control gun purchases, and it is sad to see that this topic has entered the media time and time again. I agree with the point you made about eliminating the possible purchase of semi-automatic weapons. Personally I don't feel that there is any need for them. They are not necessary to protect yourself or your property they are weapons simply used to kill large numbers of people in a very short time. On the topic of teachers having guns in school, I think that it is a terrible idea. In general adding more guns to the issue is a bad idea, but allowing teachers to carry them in schools in just the worst idea. I also agree with your point that if a student really wanted to they could definitely overpower a teacher, disarm them and then use their firearm against them or others. I am all for more intense background checks and even raising the age at which you can purchase a firearm. Nothing has worked so far to decrease gun violence so we clearly need to take greater and more extreme measures to ensure the safety of our citizens, even if it means giving up some of our freedoms.
ReplyDeleteThe debate around gun violence and its connection to mental health concerns me because solving gun violence in America should not be done by placing a stigma on mental health. Only a small percentage of perpetrators of violent crime suffer from mental health-- a lot of it stems from anger which is not enough for a court to place someone in an institution or take their guns. I think the idea of giving teachers guns is insane. It is crazy to think that teachers could be effective when the NYPD has an accuracy rate of 18%. Also, I think it is important to not ignore the fact that many schools in inner cities have metal detectors and armed guards and it is not to protect the kids. This debate is really important but I think it is crucial to think about every aspect of society this issue is connected to.
ReplyDeleteThis blog had a lot of insight that I enjoyed reading. I didn't know that there was a bill proposed to have background checks for online purchases and at gun shows. I'm actually shocked this isn't a law already! I cannot rationalize it in my mind at all. 22% is so high! I also wholly agree about banning modifications to gun use. Although I have never shot a gun, it was interesting hearing your insight that the guns have tremendous power and that this should be limited. And finally, the fact that your mom is a teacher at a school also gives an interesting perspective. I don't think of the students overpowering the teachers like you do, but rather the psychological burden on the teacher. I wouldn't really want to entertain the thought of my parent having the responsibility of shooting someone.
ReplyDeleteI like your combination of factual and policy point of view and your own feelings. My favorite line of yours was the idea of there never really being a situation in which having a weapon of such powerful firing capabilities is necessary to protect ones home. Amen. I also think your visual of the death count by gun violence versus that of war was very powerful! Crazy statistic.
ReplyDeleteGun violence, while not a uniquely American Issue, is most exemplified in this place. Most other countries that allow their citizens to use firearms make it a much more difficult time for the individual to purchase a gun. But even countries that ban firearms outright suffer from other forms of attacks. (See: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/mar/02/china-mass-stabbings-yunnan-kunming-rail-station). But I'm not saying that gun control would not work. If the eight assailants involved in the Kunming attack all had AR-15s with bump-stocks, the death toll would likely be significantly higher. This is a very complicated issue with deep historical roots in America and we can only watch how it folds out.
ReplyDeleteThis topic has been all over the news recently, with everyone from the President to the students of the school to random people from the streets being asked to express their opinions and suggestions of what should be done. This is quickly turning into a heated debate that has the chance to split our country in two - those who believe some guns need to be banned and those who will do anything to defend their right to bear arms. I love your line "we aren't even sure what the issue is here." Identify the real issue is step #1, which can then be followed by ideas and ultimately action.
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