As the year comes to an end, I think back on the violence that has transpired in our country in the last few months. The mass shooting at Stockton, California, the Annunciation Catholic school shooting, the Evergreen High School shooting, and the political assassination of Charlie Kirk have left me overwhelmed and worried about the state of our country. Violent acts, regardless of motive, only send our nation down a path where no one is truly safe anymore.
On the day of Kirk’s shooting, there were 76 additional incidents involving guns – some fatal – according to the Gun Violence Archive, a non-profit organization tracking shootings in the US since 2013.
Charlie Kirk had divisive and controversial views on several political issues in American society and was not scared to share his opinion and participate in political debates. Still, no matter how many people disagree with his views, the moment that someone is shot for expressing a belief or opinion is the moment when free speech is dead.
His assassination shows that America’s founding ideals of free speech are becoming more void by the day, as it seems like every week there is news of another shooting or act of political violence in America. The murder of Minnesota state representative Melissa Hortman and her husband is yet another example of guns being used to infringe upon free speech.
According to the Gun Violence Archive, shootings have injured 23,445 and killed 12,912 people so far this year (as of November 16). This staggering statistic includes 197 children under 12 years who were killed, and 427 others were injured. This statistic should be more than just another shocking number that we are used to seeing on our routine news cycle; it should be a national alarm.
As a student, when I read numbers like these, I can’t help but feel scared and powerless, and I think about the students sitting in classrooms right now, wondering if the next intruder alert might not be a drill. Students across the nation practice lockdown drills before learning how to read, and teachers keep doorstoppers and first aid kits next to lesson plans. Instead of stopping the problem at its source, we’ve made surviving a shooting part of a child’s education. It feels like our country has decided that mass shootings are simply the price of the freedom to bear arms, and they shouldn’t be.
While many people like Charlie Kirk argue that the Second Amendment of gun ownership is a necessary right, it’s hard for me to understand how that right is reasonable when thousands of lives are lost each year.
Every time a new shooting happens, politicians send out “thoughts and prayers” and promises to address gun violence, only for the conversation to fade once public outrage dies down and other issues take the spotlight. Americans don’t need more sympathy or prayers, especially since the Annunciation Catholic School Shooting showed that even praying did not save children.
The United States needs action, stronger background checks, longer mandatory waiting periods, and limits on assault-style weapons that serve no purpose other than to kill the most in the fastest amount of time.
Even though federally, there are background checks, they have not been thorough enough. Research indicates that federal checks leave loopholes and that state-level universal or comprehensive background checks fill in some of those gaps. In years past, a person had to be at least 21 years old and could access a gun in only three days. However, with new the help of new laws; concealed carry (Being able to hide a weapon) has been brought to Florida, and the three-day waiting period is made ineligible if you have a license for concealed carry.
These loopholes allow for violence on American soil. Why should any man or woman have the right to hide a gun? They possibly can’t be afraid when they are the ones behind the trigger. Furthermore, everyone, even if they have a concealed license, should have to go through a check longer than a week. This gives officials time to review criminal history and/or health records, for example. Finally, an assault rifle ban, as seen in 1994 under the Clinton administration, would work wonders for our nation. In the 10-year period between 1994 and 2004, when the “sunset provision” kicked in, there was a significant drop in mass shootings in America. There is no need for the average United States citizen or any non-military personnel to own an assault rifle.
These are not extreme or far-fetched measures; they are basic protections that Americans deserve. Until lawmakers choose safety over campaign and prioritize the livelihood of the citizens over political gain, the endless cycle of gun violence will continue to stain our nation.
