Passing gun control legislation that creates a universal background check and gun database system as well as passing mental health legislation that improves the health care system’s protocols and policies for assisting people with mental health disorders and that enacts counseling programs in communities and schools will decrease the likelihood of mass shootings in schools. The United States is bitterly divided. Issues of great concern, such as the rise of mass shootings, are partisanized. Both sides of the debate will not comprise or listen to what their opponents have to say. Groups from both sides can only agree that one innocent life taken from gun violence is one too many. Gun control is a complicated topic with no foolproof solution to
School violence is an all too common event reported throughout history. Shootings and massacres are not a recent phenomenon, however, a historical recurrence . The first known case of a school massacre was reported July, 26th, 1764, an incident of the Pontiac War. Three Native American men raided a schoolhouse, in now present day Greencastle, Pennsylvania, and killed the Schoolmaster, Enoch Brown, and took the lives of 10 boys. Hundreds of years later, cases such as these happen all too frequently. In May 21st, 1998, Springfield, Oregon was struck with the news of a school shooting at Thurston High School. 15 year old, Kip Kinkel, first killed his parents at home before driving to school where he fatally shot two students, and wounded 22 others. Littleton, Colorado, on April 20th, 1999, was once the most fatal attack on a school. 18 year old, Eric Harris, and Dylan Klebold, 17, planned out their attack for a year, to kill at least 500 peers, and detonate the school. The shooting killed 12 students, one teacher, and wounded 21 others before committing suicide.
America is a nation blossomed with prosperity, yet it is notorious for the proliferation of appalling violence and homicides. By focusing on the Columbine High School massacre, Michael Moore’s Bowling for Columbine explores the environment/causes that lead to shooting tragedies and exposes the culture of fear that governs the unstable American society. On April 20, 1999, two senior students, Erik Harris and Dylan Klebold, murdered 12 students and severely wounded 21 others with a 9mm carbine and a 12-gauge shotgun at Columbine High School. The bloodbath is directly related to the extensive accessibility of ammunitions. Through an investigation, Moore shockingly discovers that a Michigan local bank rewards free guns to customers who open new
“In fewer than 11 minutes, twenty first-grade pupils and six adults had lost their lives” (Sanchez 1). On December 14, 2012 the lives of families across the nation changed forever. Adam Lanza, a twenty year old man suffering with multiple mental illnesses, went on a shooting rampage at the Sandy Hook Elementary School after murdering his mother just minutes before. He had no motive for his unbelievable actions, but took the lives of children who had so many more years to live and memories to make. The Sandy Hook shooting was the second most deadly shooting in the United States, as it scarred innocent people, and still has families across the nation wondering why this horrific event happened.
April 16, 2007, started as a normal day. Virginia Tech students rushed to their classrooms to avoid being late, but little did they know the tragedy that was going to take place that dreadful day. Shortly after 10:00am 32 students lives had been taken by one of their fellow classmates. After the shooter ruthlessly shot and killed each one, he took his own life. April 16 will forever be recognized as a day of mourning and remembrance, but also as a day where we come together as a nation and overcome the defying odds we were left with.
Columbine High School was a school in the Jefferson County Public Schools. The school has a big history of events such as the Columbine Massacre. The Columbine Massacre was a school shooting that took place in Jefferson county, colorado. The shooting was caused by 2 boys, Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold. Eric was a 18 year old boy who had many physiological problems and he was bullied at school. Dylan Klebold was also 18 years old and he struggled with depression and bullying as well.
Public schools in America have been challenged a lot in the past few years. They have been constantly questioned due to recent school shootings. The most recent tragedy occurred where “seventeen people [were] killed by a gunman [on February 14, 2018] at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida” (Levenson and Sterling). A nonprofit group that attempts to prevent gun violence called “Everytown for Gun Safety,” released a statement about school shootings. The organization claimed that the school shooting at “[Marjory Stoneman Douglas High] is the 18th school shooting in the U.S. in 2018.’” (Cox and Rich). In less than three months, there have been eighteen school shootings. This shows that schools are no longer a safe environment. On the other hand, Metal detectors can help bring back school safety across the nation. Metal detectors are
In the documentary, Living for 32, Colin Goddard discusses his experience during a shooting at Virginia Tech. In April of 2007, Seung-Hui Cho, a senior at Virginia Tech murdered 33 people including himself and injured 23 more using a Glock 19 and a P22. This massacre was considered one of the deadliest shootings in U.S. history. The shootings occurred predominately in Norris hall, where Goddard was attending his French class. Goddard was shot four times in his hips and knees and only seven of his classmates survived out of class of 17. Colin Goddard is a passionate advocate for gun safety laws because of his personal encounter while in college and his experience with guns firsthand as well. I personally believe that his suggestions for
A brief overview on the Virginia-Tech Massacre reading is that it is an approach/explanation towards a male, Seung-Hui Cho, for his killing of 32 professors and fellow students, injuring another 25, and then finally killing himself at the Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University. This reading explains four different yet similar incidents that might’ve lead to Cho becoming murderous and wanting to kill others. In addition, the reading also provides a short introduction on Cho’s personality and how peers around him contributed their own negative thoughts to his personality which led Cho to think that killing is the solution to things.
Gun violence is an unquestionable issue in America, with the United States ranking as one of the worst with both homicides and suicides using guns. That being said, we outnumber Mexico in gun related deaths and among first-world countries we rank far above others in the number of gun deaths, such as England and Australia. Consequently, we live in one of the only first world countries that does not have extensive gun laws and restrictions to gun access. Aside from the countless homicides and suicides by firearm in this country, one particular issue within this predicament is mass shootings, with the most recent mass shooting occurring on February 14th, 2018 at a high school in Parkland, Florida where 17 people were killed. Although, it may seem like an easy fix to just implement gun control laws into our society to eliminate gun violence, but it is important to note that Americans own nearly half of all firearms globally, which is roughly 325 million guns; when
The United States of America, a great but very flawed nation is one of the highest-ranking countries in the world—which isn’t always a good thing. From its number one rating in areas like defense spending (almost half a trillion dollars in 2015 according to data from the National Priorities Project), to its astronomical and ever rising national debt (which increases $40,000 a second (The Telegraph))—America consistently comes out on top. Although rankings like these are upsetting to hear, the most frustrating is the fact that this country outranks every other nation in the world in guns, mass shootings, and gun violence. So far, there have been nearly 1,600 mass shootings since one of the most horrific shootings in modern history at Sandy
Since the Columbine High School shooting, school shootings have become a common occurrence. People have become so accustomed to seeing them on the news, so we hardly bat an eye at them anymore. For every instance of a school shooting we see, there are hundreds of lawmakers making public that their thoughts and prayers are with the victims and their families. Frankly, those thoughts and prayers are simply not enough anymore. The Parkland shooting is one of many school shootings, that have brought light to the subject of gun violence in schools, and it is clear, if it hasn’t been one already, that gun regulation needs to change.
Mass Shootings have been pretty common in the U.S. In the past 30 years or so. According to the Congressional Research Service, there have been 78 mass shootings in the United States since 1983. The shootings have resulted in 547 deaths and 1,023 casualties. Mass shootings are only responsible for a very small percentage of deaths in the United States, but mass shootings are happening more often than ever, a mass shooting happens on average one time a month. Most of the suspects of mass shootings are young males who usually commit the crime on their own with careful planning of the event. Most perpetrators have a fascination with weapons and the shootings usually occur in broad daylight in public places (Frances).
As I write this introduction, I am like millions of others watching the tragedy in Louisiana and Alabama caused by hurricane Katrina. A small but important part of the devastation and the challenge is the existence of individuals and groups of citizens from the area mostly impacted by the storm who used guns against their neighbours and those attempting to assist them. In any other industrialised nation, this will never happen because it will eventually cause the level of socialisation to decline due to the issue pertaining citizens getting the ready access towards guns. Most likely, gun violence is categorised as the most highly anticipated violence around the world because it is growing rapidly and causes
“You’re watching television, you’re watching the news; you’re being pumped full of fear… and it’s just a campaign of fear and consumption. That’s what I think it’s all based on is the whole idea that keep everyone afraid and they’ll consume. And that’s really simple.” (Bowling). Mass murders occur throughout the world and affect every race and gender. Individuals have debated for years about what causes a person to commit these crimes. Mental illness, alcohol, drugs, rejection, access to guns, biological factors, violent entertainment, the list goes on and on. The three most talked about are access to guns, mental illness, and violent entertainment. Although access to guns, violent entertainment, and mental illness may play a role in mass shootings,