18 school shootings since January 1, 2018. We need action. We need something. Innocent students and teachers are dying. For what? The satisfaction of some deranged criminal? Something should have been done when Sandy Hook took place. Something should have been done before Sandy Hook took place. At the first signs that something like this was going to happen someone should have done something to prevent everything that has happened not only in America, but all over the world. Stricter gun laws. Mandatory background checks. The banning of all modifications that could make a weapon more deadly. A knife couldn't cause nearly as much damage as guns have caused throughout the years. The same cycle happens every time a tragedy such as Sandy Hook takes place. The community and country mourn the death of those innocent students and teachers that lost their lives. News outlets cover the story. Politicians and the rest of the country send their thoughts and prayers. People talk about changing gun laws, but the NRA stays silent or calls for a cooling-off period. And then, nothing changes. They say "Be the change you wish to see," but how can I change anything when this type of problem hasn't happened in my community? No, I'm not asking for this to happen in my community. I'm asking the government to do something before it does happen. There is blood being spilled in classrooms all over America. That's just not humane in my eyes. What kind of ill-minded, crazy person has the mindset to kill children, not only of young ages but reaching adulthood? They all had a future ahead of them. Some could have changed the world, but not anymore, all because some psycho decided he was going to buy a gun, walk into a school, and go murder them. Not only do we need stricter gun laws, but we need better security in schools. I know that small communities, such as the one I live in, won't be able to provide as good of security as we might need, but we can at least try, right? Little kids should fear the monsters under their beds, not the monster that might show up at their school and kill people before their very eyes. A child should never be afraid of going to school in fear of being shot. Nor should a middle-schooler, or a high schooler, or even a teacher. These kinds of things don't happen every day, but on the rare occurrence that they do, we need to be better prepared, not only for the emotional scarring and trauma that comes with the survival, but the loss and sadness that comes when someone you care deeply about dies. I couldn't imagine life without any of my schoolmates or teachers. I may joke about hating them, and I may not like all of them, but without them my life would feel incomplete. But, since the NRA won't do anything to solve this problem, and Trump won't do anything to solve this problem, all we can do is hope and pray that this kind of tragedy never strikes the schools of America, ever again. At this point, a school shooting is a type of natural disaster. There's nothing we can do to prevent it. The devastation that follows is unreal. The community puts itself back together. And after, everything returns to normal. That is, until it strikes again. To those that are 100% against stricter gun laws and banning, let me ask you this. If this kind of tragedy were to happen to you or to your community, would your huge ego shift to the side enough for you to see the truth? Would your eyes finally open? Would you come to the realization that we need something? That we need action? I'm trying to open your eyes to what's really going on in this chaotic country we call "home". 18 school shootings in the first 2 months of 2018.
