School Shootings: A Symbolic Analysis

As a result of Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold's stomach-turning actions in the columbine shooting, security measures were taken to improve students and staffs safety not just in school but all around the united states. Dylan and Eric were not very popular in school and statistics of school shootings show that kids that are victims of bullying are “twice as likely to bring a weapon to school” (Mother Jones par2). Many people tend to overlook the situation of bullying in school and social media. Lastly many people are not aware of the signs and signals of a school shooter.

In his article, Gladwell repeatedly elaborates his claim on the aspects of previous school shootings, by providing quoted interviews. Thus supporting his credibility and creating trust between the author and audience. Gladwell appears to have acquired the knowledge of such events therefore, exemplifying to the reader his credibility, adding onto and advancing his argument.

Since the Sandy Hook school shooting in 2012, there has been at least 239 school shootings nationwide. In those 239 events, more than 400 people have been shot, of those 438, 138 were killed. 138 daughters, sons, mothers, fathers, sisters, and brothers went to school one day and never made it home (Patel). In response to the school shootings, schools use lock down drills to help prepare students and staff for an unspeakable event if one were to occur. Lock down drills’ purpose is to help prepare students and staff by making everyone aware of what the plan is when there is an intruder in the school. It depends on the school, but in general during a lockdown drill the teachers lock the door, turn the lights off, and everyone sits in a corner

The aftermath of a school shooting is tragic, depressing, and causes hatred for the lives lost and the person who took them. Everyone, especially the media, tries to interpret why the shooter killed their victims, or why they felt the need to end others’ lives and their own. How We All Miss the Point on School Shootings, by Mark Manson, explains what and why these mass shootings happen. He starts by using examples of shootings and the murderer’s past. This article has great viewpoints, use of argumentative reasoning, and shows what truly happens in the hallways of a school shooting.

When seconds count the police are only minutes away or, in the case of my high school, they are only an hour away. When a school shooting or stabbing happens you want your children to be standing directly behind the police officer; but, what if that’s not possible? What if a blizzard happens and the police have trouble finding your school? If a police officer is not present when a school shooting happens, you want your children to be near the next best thing, an armed teacher who knows how to, and can, protect them.

Over the past few weeks, arming teachers has been a controversial topic throughout the country. School shootings have taken the lives of many over the past few years, yet they are becoming more and more frequent. In today’s society children shouldn’t have to go to school worried if they are going to be safe that day. If teachers are armed it will add that extra bit of protection to the children. A big question is if arming teachers is even going to matter if an active shooter happens to be in that school. What a lot of people do not take into consideration is that the teachers must go through training and have to be liable to the responsibilities they are taking once they have a concealed carry weapon. Arming teachers could help lower the number of school shootings because the reaction times will be much faster, and it will add a bit of security to the children.

On April 20, 1999, two disturbed teenage boys Dylan Klebold and Eric Harris began a killing rampage at Columbine High School in the suburban town of Littleton, Colorado. This was considered one of the worst school shootings to occur at that time. In the morning of April 20, before noon, the two juveniles had killed 13 people to include 12 students and 1 teacher; they also wounded another 23 people before turning the guns on themselves. This event would change the theories as to why school shootings would occur. (History)

(Sub-subpoint 2) For example, a 12-year-old from Nevada opened fire at school because he was bullied. He was called “an idiot, a retard and gay”. (NY Daily News)

The school environment is one that has been stressed to be a safe and enjoyable place to learn. However, for many individuals, that is not the case. Students around the world have very unique experiences at school, which can unfortunately become abhorrent. According to the Center of Disease Control (CDC), and average of 96 Americans lose their lives to gun violence each day (Gun Violence by the Numbers). There are several causes of death by gun violence, but one of the causes that have become a growing problem is school shootings. Each school shooter has an individual story and should be treated disparate from the rest, but there are several similar characteristics between many school shooters throughout history.

In the past and present, school safety is one of the number one priorities of any school district. Having a safe and secure learning environment is crucial in getting children of any age the education that they need and deserve. When this security is threatened it can be either directly, for the victims of school shootings, or indirectly, for the students that hear about these incidents and no longer feel as safe when they are in their school. When a tragic event happens like what recently happened in Florida, there will be an argument and as with any argument, there will be many sides. Some ideas for school safety that have come out of this incident include, gun control laws, mental health screenings, and things that can be done in schools to control the situation of having an active shooter. One method of deterring an active shooter was stated as arming select teachers within schools in order to effectively end the situation and protect the students.

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

One day, one child, one gun, one school. Now, as saddening as it is to admit, we live in a world where school shootings are a part of everyday life, and there is nothing being done to stop them. As most can recognize, most of the media is more focus on what the President is going to say after the shootings happen, rather than focusing on what we as a nation are going to do to stop these tragic events. There have been a few ideas when it comes to solving this issue, and truthfully, most of these ideas will fall flat on their faces; meanwhile, arming teachers seems to be a possible solution. Arming teachers will deter shooters, secure students fears from outside threats, and in the worst case scenario can stop a school shooter before they can commit mass murder.

Being safe at school is something that a person shouldn’t have to worry, about but it has become a concern for a lot of parents, teachers, and school administration. Increasing security in high school, middle school, and elementary school would help control and protect the kids from possible threats, as well as creating a safe learning environment and show kids that police officers are good people.

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

Safety is something we all strive for in our lives and we need it as much as we need air. Sadly, recent events in the world have put this safety at risk, something that must be changed. Being a university student, safety at the campus I commune to daily is of the upmost importance. The violence on school campuses has gotten worse as the time goes on, a total of 19 shootings has happened in 2015 alone. This may not seem like a lot, but the 40 deaths in these shootings respectively say different. This number alone is too high – things have to change.