If you're Missing Gun Safety, Get Better Aim

"A day set aside to celebrate love is now marked as the 18th school shooting of 2018. Why? Does the right to bear arms supersede the right of our children to schools free of gun violence?"

-Reverend Traci Blackmon

School is supposed to be a nonviolent place for children to learn and grow. Unfortunately, many students are more worried about whether they will even make it through the day. Following each shooting, there are numerous discussions regarding gun control, while others think the shooting are a result of mental illness. Whatever the reason, there have been far too many school shootings in the past decade to not take action and alter something. I believe students should be able to go to school without fear and with the sole purpose of wanting to expand their knowledge. I am angered by the fact that these shootings keep repeating themselves despite the fatal losses. School shootings are a nightmare and the longer we sit around doing nothing, the scarier the thought of them becomes.

School shootings don’t just impact families who have lost their loved one; they also have a huge effect on all the students in the school and the community. They impact students’ cognitive skills and influence their behavior at school. Even though school shootings receive extensive media attention, there isn’t much emphasis put on the consequences of falling enrollment and student performance. Out of all the detrimental consequences, the one that is the most astonishing to me is that school shootings affect academic outcomes even three years later. In addition, the feeling of on-going danger will always haunt the schools. As a result, the school’s environment and sense of community are intensely damaged. School shootings need to be stopped urgently so schools can properly serve their purpose as a safe place for children to learn and grow.