Editor’s note: Congratulations to Rivka Yellin, a ninth grader at Ma’ayanot, who is in Mrs. Adeena Pultman’s Current Events class. This class tackles important issues that are in the news and covers them in depth and from all political perspectives in order to foster critical thinking and to encourage robust class discussion. The Parkland shootings, which presented complex legal questions that also evoke strong emotions and very much hit close to home, were discussed in detail.
On the morning of February 14, Fred Guttenberg said goodbye to his daughter as she left for school. Hours later, she was killed in a mass shooting. He could not remember if he had said “I love you.”
A school shooting is a nightmare unfathomable to high schoolers; and yet, on February 14, the unfathomable became a reality when Nicolas Cruz walked into his former school and mercilessly killed 17 people, filling the quiet school with the sound of gunshots and the feeling of terror. Across the country, schools have joined together to send a message of solidarity to the Parkland community. The support has been overwhelming; yet it is not even close to enough. The time for thoughts and prayers alone should have ended long ago. It is time that the world realized that sending “thoughts and prayers” will not change anything. This is just one out of the 9,000+ gun related incidents in 2018 alone. Why is it that no one has taken action and instigated change? Why is it that this is an issue that has been debated for decades, and yet the number of gun-related deaths keeps increasing? America should have established stricter gun-control laws long ago, after the horrible Columbine shooting 20 years prior. Yet, time and time again these incidents are repeated, and after the news cycle moves on, we resume our lives, having changed nothing. Now, at this time more than any other, we must come together as a nation and make sure that nothing like this ever happens again. We cannot just pray and think; that will change nothing. It is time to take action.
The first place to start is with stricter gun control. I am calling upon Congress to impose a ban on bump stocks and semi/fully automatic rifles. It is important to draw boundaries between what is protection and what is dangerous. Yes, we are all endowed with a “right to bear arms,” but we do not need such dangerous weapons to protect ourselves. Furthermore, in the case of the Florida shooter, as with many other cases, the guns were legally acquired. The fact that a person with a mental disability is capable of purchasing such a dangerous weapon is appalling. The restrictions we have today are simply not protective enough. No one under the age of 21 should be allowed to purchase or carry a gun. Background checks should be much more thorough, and gun licenses should have to be renewed annually. Enforcing stricter gun control laws is the first step in making our schools safe again.
In addition, schools should be protected by armed security guards. The lax security in some schools is disturbing. Guards should undergo a thorough background check and should have intense training. In the case of a shooting, the security guard should be prepared and should be equipped to manage the situation. What happened at the Florida shooting, when the armed guard fled, should never be repeated.
Finally, the most effective way to prevent a shooting is the ability to recognize potential threats before they become a reality. In Cruz’s case, there were numerous red flags that should have warned law enforcement of his danger. A family member living with Cruz called 911 saying, “I’m honestly afraid for my mother, my little brother.” The FBI was warned countless times about Nikolas Cruz, but they failed to stop this tragedy from occuring.
By effecting these changes, future shootings can be prevented. With stricter gun-control laws coupled with armed security and better recognition of warning signs, we can seriously reduce the number of gun-related deaths. How many more civilians must be killed by guns before we initiate change? The answer should be none; we must take action now. Let’s not have any more “last goodbyes.”
