*Warning*
The content in this article contains knowledge and reference to shootings, death, and injuries due to firearms!! Please read at your discretion.
February 15th, 2024, was the day we were instructed to find an idea for a story that will be published in our newest issue of the Talon. Amid our brainstorming and trying to create ideas that have yet to be repeated a million times, Ms. Hurt was reminded of the incident that had happened the previous day. There was a shooting at the Super Bowl Parade in Kansas City, Missouri, which left one dead, and more than 20 were shot. This shooting marked the 48th mass shooting which commenced in the year 2024. Now considering it has not even reached the third month of this year, there needs to be more discussion on this monstrosity of an issue. As I was looking into this shooting I was reminded that it was also the 6th anniversary of the Parkland Shooting. Another time that left our country in shambles as we tried to patch up a wound that caused many deaths and even more injuries. To refresh our memories a little we should take a glance at what went down in history as the largest school shooting on US land.
It was Valentine’s Day, 2018 at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School which is located in the Fort Lauderdale, Florida region. On that day, Nicholas Cruz opened fire on the school for 6 consecutive minutes. In that brief period, he managed to kill 17 and injure 17 more. This catastrophe left many in mental peril and led to multiple suicides as many could not live with such a weight on their conscience. This instance is well known and did incite some modification in policies and the surrounding government. The deputies who were on the scene were fired due to inaction during the instance and the sheriff was removed as there were multiple complaints of the shooter pre-massacre that should have been investigated. Although these changes made some leeway, there needs to be more done to limit these occurrences. What is even more disastrous is that 2018 was not the worst year for school shootings, statistically 2022 was the deadliest as there were 46 deaths from countless massacres that year.
These carnages are constant and have become a large part of our daily lives. Are you aware of how many school shootings have commenced this year? Are you aware of any? It might come as a surprise, but there have been at least 13 shootings in both universities and k-12 schools. I have not been exposed to media on some, if not all of those incidents. They are so constant and routine that it is sad to hear of such tragedies, but never does it come as a shock. For example, there was a mass school shooting on January 4th. A student murdered two and injured many more. This terrible example did not cause as much uproar as deserved. A child was murdered and the principal who tried to save many students died as well, and there is little to no information on this. This should not be a part of our lives that is normalized; this should cause us turmoil, and create a need for change. Instead, we ignore this gaping wound, choosing to view the injury as a paper cut.
Although I have never been in such a terrible incident nor know of many who have also experienced this, I can say that the thought of our friends and family being next creates such a terrible fear. I mean you may not be aware but you have most likely been closer to one than you know. Just two years ago School of the Arts had an issue where one of the students threatened to cause harm to the student body. The student posted a photo of himself with a gun to social media as a way to incite fear in the student body. Luckily the firearm was an airsoft gun, which cannot be used to kill or truly injure people. Still, this incident led to many fearing that they might have a recreation of the Parkland massacre in their school. The issue was resolved quickly and the child who was threatened is no longer a student at SOA. There have been other rumors of such things, but none with an equal popularity or fact to base this information on.
If you want to change this problem then there are multiple ways to try and create transformation. You can start a new club to try and combat gun violence. There are some nationally recognized clubs in existence, like Students Demand Action, which is an organization that defines itself as “Young activists committed to ending gun violence in our communities”. You could also research more on candidates for governmental positions. Voting and becoming educated on politics will aid in the modification of our system. You could email or write a letter to both your local representative in Congress or your local state representative. These efforts are not guaranteed to work as these politicians do receive many issues and complaints that must be addressed. However, by sending many emails or submissions of complaints to certain individuals, there may be a greater chance of acknowledgment. Discussing the issue with even more local politicians can also be useful if you are trying to create a safer school environment in your county or city. A quick Google search can provide you with all of these contacts you need, but make sure you are aware of who is the representative for where you live.
When will these holidays stop being about celebrating new love and now be focused on holding onto the love that could be lost? Because at this rate Valentine’s Day will become a time of mourning for all of those who have lost their lives in acts of terror. Do remember to always love and cherish those around you as these events continue to haunt the country we reside in.
