Could bloodshed in our schools, caused by weak gun laws become our normal in the U.S? Sandy Hook, Virginia Tech, Columbine, and Stoneman Douglas are of many schools and too many lives being lost behind the hand of a gun. It seems the fattening of our politician’s pockets have trumped our children’s safety. Gun control laws are not sufficient enough for American schools because gun and rifles are too easily attainable, mental stability isn’t put into consideration at purchase, and no solution on gun reform amongst government officials have been resolved.
Gun Reform
Contradiction of gun ownership amongst American citizens have become a main topic in society. To own a rifle you only have to be the age of 18. However, to own a hand gun you only need to be the age of 21, and would need a license in order to carry it on you. From the excerpt “predicting gun ownership in America: birth cohort, political views, and attitudes towards gun control legislation” it was stated that “Millennials are less likely to own a firearm due to their liberal political ideology.” Although the quote states that millennia’s are less likely to own a firearm due to political ideology, most of the mass shootings have occurred by millennia’s that legally own firearms. Take Stoneman Douglas for instance, Nikolas Cruz was an 19-year-old who previously owned several rifles and walked on the campus masquerading his AR-15 killing 17 people and injuring several others on the span of the 3 floors.
Cruz is just one of many that contributed to NRA’S ownership of rifles. Although the NRA has fatuous age restrictions on ownership of handguns and rifles, their also no better for favoring republican parties that are against gun control. In the excerpt “the politics of firearm safety: an emerging new balance of power” it states “NRA expended $140 million on legislative programs and public affairs”. When Donald Trump was campaigning for his presidency the NRA funded his campaign investing $30 million. The NRA also invested $20 million into congressional races. The NRA continues to make themselves known in the world of politics ensuring that the right right to carry a firearm without the strict regulations remains untouched.
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Weak gun laws have led America to where it is now. America has become desensitized to gun violence. Were amongst suffocation drowning in everyday news reports of gun violence incidents. This has become Americas norm. There is no response or action until there is a tradgedy that hits too close to home. The fixing of this conflict relies on our politicians. Tightening gun laws can prevent the next possible mass school shooting. Were Becoming Desensitized to Gun Violence “Guns may not kill people, but when someone is looking to inflict serious damage quickly, they’re the go-to weapon.” Guns are too easily accessible where someone can just grab and go on a killing splurge.
Mass Shootings and Public Support For Gun Control “mass shootings should increase the support for gun control by making the threat of gun control more salient”. The cause of mass shootings increases those to protest for stricter gun laws. Our state and local representatives need to put a stance for the benefit of safety and gun control laws. After the shooting in 2013 at Sandy Hook elementary located in Newtown, Connecticut where a local gunman killed 6 adults and 20 kids, a request for a bill to tighten background checks requirements on potential gun buyers was rejected by the senate. These kids and local schools. Adding security guards and tightening up on the lockdown of schools is a form of safety, yes. But its not solving the main issue at hand. America needs tighter gun laws.
In the eyes of some of some military veterans the ownership of automatic assault rifles amongst civilians is unnecessary. “I know assault rifles. I carried one in Iraq. They have no place on America’s streets.” Former veteran Seth Moulton said. The people who work in the armed forces train everyday on how to properly utilize a rifle. Congress has the power to eliminate civilians from purchasing theses armed weapons. They have the power to initiate background checks. They have the power to lift restrictions. Our congress sees the damage being done to the country. There’s no doubt about it. Government officials need to have the political courage to make a change.
If the congress decides to make a change or not, the current state of the misuse of legal firearms in America is at an uproar. From 2015 to now statistics show the increasing number of the purchases of weapons and the loss of teens and kids from gun violence. 398 million guns are in circulation around the U.S. 1.7 million kids in America live with unlocked, loaded guns in their home. In 2015 2,824 children from the age of 0-19 years has lost their lives from a gunshot. 13,723 were injured by a gunshot. In the states where there is an increase in gun availability, death rates from gunshots for children were higher than in states with less availability. How much higher do the numbers need to increase before there is change? How many more lives? How many
kids? Teens? These innocent being lost was our future. They were the next America. Is this how the government really chooses to let the public live? If it were one of their kids lives being lost I’m sure the tables would be turned. Its sad that that’s how some of us have to feel. If there’s one thing that needs to be changes is the mental stability check at purchase.
Mental Stability
The United Sates lacks health investigations at the purchase of armed weapons. The rest of society is at risk when we provide protection to gun owners. Should we continue at this expense without greater evaluation? Phycologist and mental health workers can make a difference with the relationship between mental health and gun violence. There should be a stronger focus on what types of weapons individuals should be allowed that struggle with with mental health issues. There should be standards put into place upon purchase. Before becoming a gun owner, they should be assessed at clearance, established a registration documentation, and added on to a mental disability database. Any individual who seeks to purchase a legal firearm should undergo the process of being assessed from a licensed mental health doctor or phycologist. The test should consist of a thorough background check. The purpose of the test is to check for impairments of any factors that could harm someone else or even themselves.
Any who test positive for being bipolar, psychotic, or any other impairing disorder should not be allowed access to a firearm while experiencing any mental disorder. No one should be able to purchase a firearm without the clearance form that would be given to them by the test administrator after approval. After being assessed and approved by the psychologist or mental health professional the patient should be given a signed document stating there was no sign of any mental impairments. No individual should be allowed to purchase the firearms without the signed approval documentation. The provider should also enter the documentation into a national mentally stable database where all gun dealers can access at any time. The benefits of having a national database where mental health providers can access is to list the individuals who have mental impairments into the database for immediate denial of gun ownership and access to firearms. This process of assessing and being entered into national data base of approval or denial will help limit the gun violence in America.
What is the real term of someone who has a mental illness? How does it relate to gun violence? Mental disorder is a wide range of conditions that affect mood, thoughts, and behavior. Not all psychiatric patients are a harm to others. Most patients who are admitted to psychiatric amenities are more of a danger to themselves rather than other people. In some states such as Connecticut, California, Washington, and Oregon have a “red flag law”. The red flaw law pertains to gun violence prevention that permits police or family members to petition a state court to order the temporary removal of firearms from a person who may be a danger to others or themselves. Other states such as Florida, and the District of Columbia are considering adding this law.
It would be beneficial to have this in all fifty states for safety reasons for the safety of America. In the article “Red Flag Laws: Where The Bills Stand In Each State” it states “NRA lobbyists and affiliates have argues that red flag proposals put unfair focus on firearms and strip the subjects of gun-removal orders of due process rights.” Reform and mental issues could be the gateway on to further reforms on the 2nd amendment because it controls what guns can ne purchased and by who. The NRA doesn’t want there to be a limit on gun purchases. They know if you put a ban on citizens suffering from mental illness that there will be a shortage of rifle and gun income coming in from a number of Americans. The NRA will do anything to prevent any kind of reform. But why let others suffer by death and loss just to keep the 2nd amendment intact? Why not put the safety of others into matter rather than worrying about the worldly gun income. Guns will always sale by high demand sad to say even if they eliminate those who suffer from mental illness. Guns don’t kill people. People with guns kill people.
If America continues on this same path, there will be no “making America great again”. Nikolas Cruz,19, had a trouble history in school prior to attending and shooting Stoneman Douglas High school in Parkland, FL. When Cruz was three years old in 2002 he was diagnosed as developmentally delayed. In 2014, Cruz attended Cross Creek in Pompano Beach, FL for students with emotional and behavioral disorders. In School he was often distracted by classmates’ conversations pertaining to guns, killings, and the armed forces. In 2015, he attended both Stoneman Douglas two periods of the day and Cross Creek for remainder of his day. From January of 2016 to February 2017 Cruz attended Stoneman Douglas until he was banished from the school according to his discipline files.
Between that time frame Cruz was being investigated by officials for cutting himself on Snapchat and Broward Sheriffs Office received a call from his neighbor about an Instagram post by Cruz stating he plans on shooting up his school. He was then investigated and sheriffs discovered he owned knives and BB guns. Also between this time frame Cruz turns 18 and Florida child welfare investigated his Snapchat of him cutting himself. Shortly after the investigation was closed. Specialists advised Cruz to return back to his previous school Cross Creek but he refused. Since he was then an adult he refused to receive any further mental health services. Close to the time Cruz was banished from his full time school Stoneman Douglas, there was a request put out after distributing him a one-day suspension for an assault that the district conduct a threat assessment on him. Days after his banishment he purchased an AR-15 riffle that he would later use one year later to commit the massacre at Stoneman Douglas High School. Cruz then bounced from one alterative school to the next for high risk youth.
Later in the year November 2017 his mother died of pneumonia. Shortly after that Broward Sheriffs office received another call about Cruz Claiming he his collecting a numerous amount of guns and knives and could potentially be a “school shooter in the making”. February 14, 2017 Nikolas Cruz walked on to Stoneman Douglas campus armed with and AR-15 rifle disguising himself as a current student. He killed 17 innocent lives in the freshman building and injured 14 others in the span of 6 minutes. 6 minutes of torture those students had to witness and withstand seeing their classmates fall before them, praying for their own lives, hearing those traumatic vociferous gunshots. All that could’ve been prevented. An investigation that was acknowledged but never endorsed enough.
Years prior to the Stoneman Douglas shooting was the Sandy Hook massacre in Newtown, Connecticut where Adam Lanza,20, suffered from mental illness, killing 26 people, including 20 first graders in the span of 11 minutes. Before heading over to the elementary school he murdered his mom Nancy Lanza. Shortly after his killing spree he then went on to kill himself. Adam spent the majority of his time in his mother’s basement living in the dark behind blacked-out windows. The psychiatrist he was viewed by feared he would turn into a “homebound recluse”. “He obsessed over violence, culling together an elaborate spreadsheet documenting decades of mass killings. His worldview appeared bleak in interactions with others.” (New York Times, Rick Rojas) Investigators later found Adam had a fascination with the Columbine shooting in 1999 where Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold shot 12 of their fellow classmates and teacher to death and then later killed themselves, which possibly created his motive. He had hundreds of copies, videos, and images, about the Columbine High School shooting.
No Solution to Gun Reform
Hesitancy by law members to overcome the current laws has become dangerously stagnant. In 1994 President Bill Clinton signed and approved by congress the assault weapons ban last major piece of gun control to make it into law. The ban applied to 19 different specific manufactured models of semi-automatic firearms and other guns. The ban expired in 2004. The numerous attempts to renew it has failed. We’ve had numerous massive killings by gun violence in the schools after Bill Clintons law expired. During his period of presidency under that law there was only on incident of school shootings. Which proves this law needs to be reinforced once again? We need stricter gun laws to control the event of another massacre school shooting happen in our future.
Conclusion
How are gun control laws sufficient for American schools? They’re not. Because rifles are too easily attainable, the government lacks health investigations, and the hesitancy by law makers to over ride the current gun laws, it makes the safety for American schools at risk.
Work Cited
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