V. Hajek
Parents should not be afraid to send their children to school, and students should not be nervous about their safety while sitting in class or eating in their school cafeteria. Unfortunately, school shootings have become a sad reality in America. The Parkland school shooting resulted in seventeen deaths and is the most recent major mass school shooting. There have been six mass school shootings in the past twenty years in which at least 9 victims have died, yet the government has done nothing to change gun laws. To prevent school shootings in the future, there must be stricter regulations for gun ownership.
The graph depicts the number of people killed in the six largest school mass shootings since 1999. The United States’ Congressional Research Service defines a public mass shooting as an incident where someone indiscriminately kills four or more people. In each shooting listed below, at least 9 people were killed. In the Sandy Hook shooting, 20 children between the ages of 6 and 7 were killed. Kindergartners should not have to practice active shooter drills in between their snack time and recess. Gun advocates argue that the majority of gun owners do not use their guns for violence. However, these mass shootings are recurring and have cost the lives of over a hundred students. Any argument to own hand guns is outweighed by the terrible incidents reported in the graph above, as well as the thousands of shootings that are not shown here. To ensure an end to school shootings, there must be stricter regulations on gun ownership.
The government must take action and change gun laws to ensure safety at schools and other public areas. From the six shootings listed above, 108 victims were killed. Government officials must change gun regulations, so that parents feel safe sending their six year olds to school and students are able to focus on their academics without worrying about their safety.
