Last year, a group of drama students performed a scene entitled 'I Was There' in front of my entire school. It entailed stories of people who survived a school shooting. These stories ranged from a girl who stayed home that day and was mortified when she watched people being carted out of the school in ambulances, to a girl who watched her very best friend die, but the most terrifying of all of these accounts came from the man who identified as the school shooter. I watched this performance multiple times, but each time I sat in the audience, I thought about how I would never have to worry about something like that happening at my school, or even in my lifetime. Yet for all of the last week, as I walked through the halls trying to figure out where I could hide if need be. Would the auditorium be safest because of the number of places to hide? Or would the number of entrances prove to be a problem? I looked for the classroom with the fewest windows instead of focusing on the fact that I had a performance coming soon that would count as 20% of my final grade. My education should be a priority, I should not have to worry about whether or not I'll live to go home and see my mother. Now is the time for action, now is the time for reform so we may protect the lives of our children instead of our 300 year old constitution.
Last summer, I took a trip down to Florida for a family reunion, but the joy of being with family, and the absolute joy of boiling alive in 90 degree weather was interrupted by the tragedy of the injury or death of 58 people in the Pulse Nightclub in Las Vegas. Many talk about killings like the one in Columbine, Colorado as the deadliest shooting in history, but unfortunately it doesn't even make the list of the top ten mass shootings in United States history anymore. At the time of the Pulse Nightclub shooting, I thought the problem with that shooting was bigotry, but in the wake of the most recent deadly mass shooting at a high school in Parkland, Florida, I realize the issue runs much deeper, and actually is more than one issue.
The deadliest shootings in U.S. history have something in common: the weapon, an AR-15. This gun is readily available to citizens, easy to buy, and not too expensive. Sold with a 30 round magazine, it is possible to purchase one with a 100 round magazine, so according to Oregon Live, "the speed at which you shoot is limited only by the speed at which you are able to pull the trigger." Citizens do not need to, nor should they own what should be classified as a military grade piece of killing equipment, it is unnecessary for any situation, except in the case of a mass murder. Guns need only be used for self defense, and for hunting, not for shooting multiple rounds in one minute.
Yet still today, you can buy this gun without a permit, or background check, and can go into the store and take it home the very same day. During Obama's time as president, a bill was set into motion that would have strengthened existing gun control regulations, only further protecting citizens from gun violence with a motion making it more difficult for people with known mental illnesses to buy guns. However, last year, Trump put a stop to this bill using a process not often used, called the Congressional Review Act. People don't need a mental health check in order to buy a gun, and in some cases, they don't even need a permit. Regulations need to be put into place to make sure that, as well as needing a mental health check in order to buy a gun, they also need a permit, a thorough background check, and gun safety lessons.
Some argue that it's a basic second amendment right to own and carry guns, however, the founding fathers weren't exactly virtuous people themselves. A majority of the people who wrote and contributed to the constitution and bill of rights were slave owners. They started the prohibition of alcohol, didn't grant women the right to vote, were smugglers, and owned both bears, and the bones of exotic animals. Also, in the time the constitution was written, mass shootings and mass murders committed by citizens weren't as common as they are today. The weapons they wanted to protect were muskets, which could only shoot one round at a time, and took minutes to reload after being fired. The founding fathers didn't intend for this amendment to protect guns that have a history of being used to kill many at once. It was meant to make sure in case of a corrupt government, the citizens had the right to revolt and protect themselves. Today, however, assault rifles are no match for the weapons contained by the government, nuclear bombs pose a threat whether or not you hold a gun in your hands.
Military grade assault rifles need to be banned, and more federal regulations need to be put in place, like mental health checks, needing a permit, and required gun safety lessons before you are allowed to purchase a gun. Children are dying and some people's first priority is still the safety of their guns and a 300 year old piece of writing. Teenagers who recently witnessed the death of their closest friends and teachers are the faces of the movement for gun reform. Their fight is one that must not be lost. No more Sandy Hook, no more Columbine, no more Pulse Nightclub, no more Virginia Tech, no more Parkland, no more "thoughts and prayers". In this time of indignation, hate, and fear, find the courage to stand up for the lives lost, for the lives that will be lost if we continue to do nothing. History has its eyes on you, don't let hate win.
