March 20, 2018

From Columbine to Parkland, school shootings have been a hot topic in America for some time. However, it seems that with the most recent school massacre at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School talk about gun control, mental health, and school security has plagued the media. As a senior in the public school system I do worry sometimes. Who knows if my school’s next? What’s the quickest way to get out of my classroom in case someone were to come in with an assault rifle? Are the kids who joke about “shooting up the school” serious? Should I say something if I see something? These are all questions that I have to ask myself when I choose to wake up and come to school, and you know what? It sucks.

This is our every day. Many of us, born after the first mass school shooting at Columbine High School, have not known any different. As one Parkland survivor put it in a “60 Minutes” segment Sunday evening, “We’re the mass shooting generation”. Although this is our world, that doesn’t mean that we can’t change it. Sure, mass shooting victims are only a small percentage of deaths each year, but legislation to prevent these horrific massacres is still very necessary.

This issue is one that some want to paint black or white, gun control OR mental illness. The reality, however, is that this is a multifaceted problem that is going to require a multifaceted solution. It IS about gun control. It IS about mental health. It IS about school security and it IS about holding people accountable for their actions. I’m not saying I have all the answers, but I do believe it’s about time things change. This issue is one that is growing each day, as violent threats and incidents are happening at schools all around the country.

While tragedies like those at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, Sandy Hook, and so many more seem unimaginable in our small suburban town, they’re not. These shootings are happening at schools just like ours to students just like us. Whether it’s participating in walkouts, speaking up about shady behavior, or taking time to talk to legislators, we can work to be the last mass shooting generation. It starts now and it starts with us.