As you probably already know by now, a truly evil man, in which I cannot even describe his atrocities in words, mowed down 28 innocent people in Sandy Hook Elementary in Newtown, Connecticut; 20 of them were innocent children, who have been the denied the ability to grow up and become something. Millions have been impacted by the evil of one man, but how many more shooting are we going to let happen before something is done?
Shootings in malls…shootings in monasteries….shootings in move theaters…and even shootings in kindergarten classrooms. What do all of these places have in common? There is no form of self-defense whatsoever in any of them. It is literally as easy to walk in a high school as it is to walk in a coffeehouse; nothing is stopping anyone from getting in. Recently, schools have begun to implement a buzzer system with the hopes of keeping intruders out. However, if someone truly wants to get in, they will disguise themselves and be welcomed in the door.
Unfortunately, many schools are MILES away from police stations, meaning that half of the school could be massacred before police even arrive on scene. WHY?!?! Every time you go to an airport, you are literally sexually assaulted, yet you can just walk in public schools without even blinking an eye. There have been over 60 school shootings in the last decade alone, and only one major terrorist attack. While September 11 was extremely significant, we took action and ensured that no more terrorist attacks occurred. While we have went overboard with airport security, there is no security whatsoever in public schools.
How can something like this be fixed? The first step is strengthening the security of public education facilities. Unfortunately, more shootings will probably occur before this happens because of the failure to compromise over this issue. This will turn into more of a political competition than an attempt to save lives. Instead of arguing endlessly about gun control laws, something needs to be done in high schools. As an idea, I would propose a blue light alarm system, like those found in college campuses. With a blue light system, many college students can already access a button that when pressed, will bring a police force within 30 seconds. While an entire police force in a high school would not be practical, at least one or two security guards would bring this to an end.
Think about it this way: how many shootings have you heard of in airports, courtrooms, and government buildings? They rarely occur because of the strict codes of security, including luggage checking and metal detectors. A few high school metal detectors and one security guard could prevent the deaths of dozens of innocent children in a school.
One of the things that really irks me about mass shootings is the way the media publicizes the shooter. They tend to focus more on the shooter than the victim. Insane maniacs then tune into their channels and gain the idea of doing something too terrible to describe. In addition, they always push stricter gun laws. Returning to what I previously stated, vulnerable, unsecured places are much more likely to be shot up than secured places with self-defense. When you ban firearms, you might as well place a target on the door. Think about it. Why is it that homes in rural areas do not suffer from massive amounts of theft? Because people know that many of them are armed. In addition, restricting gun ownership just gives the shooter the upper hand. Yes, many shootings occur with legally obtained firearms - now. If they were not available, people would find them.
Politics aside, America needs to come together and learn from this great tragedy. No one should suffer from the grief experienced by the community of Newtown today. It’s as easy as increasing school security. The government doesn’t allow people to board planes unchecked, so why does it allow CHILDREN to go to school every day in a potentially dangerous facility. All it takes is one insane person to ruin thousands of lives. Unsecured schools are like a ticking bomb; something bad is bound to happen if nothing is done, as seen today. Unfortunately, I do not think anything will be done. The country has become so politically divided that something as easy as securing schools cannot be achieved.
Before I end this post, I would like to let those affected by this disaster know that you are in my thoughts and prayers, as well as the rest of America’s. It is great to live in a country where everyone comes together during times of tragedy. In this way, we must come together to pass legislation that will bring an end to this. I cannot explain the despair that I felt when I heard about this; I cannot even imagine that of those that were directly affected by this. America needs to bring an end to these atrocities. Citizens should not have to worry about going to a movie premier, shopping at the mall, or sending their children to school. We live in a home of the free, a place where everyone is entitled to a pursuit of happiness and a place where every man and woman and every boy and girl has the right to live. Let’s bring an end to this and make our schools as safe as the buildings that those running our country go to work in every day.
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