Unsplash. (2015, May 31). Photo by Jens Lelie on Unsplash. Unsplash.com. https://unsplash.com/photos/black-revolver-pistol-on-ground-during-daytime-KGRZFB1U25I

 

We’re talking about gun violence in schools this week. Are you excited for this one? Of course you aren’t. This is a topic people aren’t comfortable talking about because the possibility of one of your peers bringing in weaponry to try to hurt you and your fellow student body is horrifying. Fear is a natural response when it comes to heavy topics such as this one, where your sense of security is removed from you. Students live in fear now more than ever of one of their classmates turning on the school and bringing in a loaded gun with nothing but the worst intentions. This issue is removing any sense of safety that students should feel in school settings, as school is supposed to be a safe place for all students and faculty in it. In case you don’t believe that this is a pressing problem, PEW research surveys given to students from Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in 2018 suggest that “57% of teens say they are worried about the possibility of a shooting happening at their school, with four saying they are very worried” (Graf, 2018). This situation has not improved in the last six years, as school shootings become more and more common and essentially desensitized over time. Let’s talk about how this heavy topic and general public’s reactions to it is both surprising, and not surprising in different ways.

Something surprising about gun violence in schools is how it has increasingly become an issue here in the United States, and a lot of people don’t even seem to care, much less advocate for a change. A documentary named “Bowling for Columbine” supports the idea that people recognize that guns are easily accessible to minors, but don’t care to work for a change. There are a lot of people out there who find solace in having access to guns in their homes. Some even go as far as to sleep with on right under their pillows (WatchDocumentaries, 2002). Changing gun laws to ensure the guns that these civilians claim are for “personal protection” and don’t end up in the wrong hands or the wrong places is an unattractive idea to gun owners. The reason why this is the case is because people stand behind their “Constitutional right to bear arms and the powerful lobby of the National Rifle Association” (Pierre, 2019). The creation of more laws on the ownership of guns would violate said Constitutional rights. In turn, this makes gun owners feel as if they are unable to protect themselves, which was the whole point of having guns in their homes to begin with. What I’m pointing out here is that it’s shocking to me how people refuse to advocate for stricter gun laws because they value their own personal rights over the safety of their their community and their children at school.

Something that isn’t surprising about this topic is how there are so many ways to prevent gun violence in schools, which are put into play when people don’t want to give up their precious right to bear arms. Learning more about gun laws and school violence impacts me as a teacher by informing me of the importance of mental health in my classroom. When I show my students that I genuinely care for them and that their mental health is of high priority, I can lower the chances of one of my students feeling so antagonized and alone in school to the point where they think the only solution to their problems is physical violence. One way to prevent gun violence in my future district would be using the CDC’s “Resources for Action”, which “shape individual behaviors as well as the relationship, family, school, community, and societal factors” that all may have negative influences on the well-being of students when not addressed and cared for properly (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2019). Why do I mention a program created by the CDC, the same guys obsessed with COVID-19 who forced us all to wear masks during quarantine four years ago, you ask? The answer to this question is simple. Not only do I agree with this method of keeping my students safe, but the CDC’s motto is “CDC 24/7: Saving Lives, Protecting People”. This is related to reducing gun violence in schools because releasing information on how to create a safe and healthy environment to foster the improvement of the mental health of students is protecting the people of the United States. This issue aligns perfectly with the CDC’s motto, regardless of gun violence not being a viral illness or disease to warn the nation about.

 

Unsplash. (2020, February 9). Photo by Reno Laithienne on Unsplash. Unsplash.com. https://unsplash.com/photos/yellow-school-bus-on-white-background-odHhPgEgkWM

 

Now, let’s recap on everything we talked about. Gun violence is present in schools because gun laws are far too lenient with who has access to guns and because the mental health of students isn’t prioritized. Gun owners don’t want stricter laws on gun ownership because they feel like it violates their Constitutional rights to bear arms and protect themselves. Shockingly, these same people don’t consider the safety of their own children in schools, as guns are easily placed into the wrong hands and end up being used to hurt said children. Unsurprisingly, to combat this negligence that gun owners have for their community, organizations all over the United States create different ways to improve the mental health of students so that gun violence will not be present in schools. Got it? Great, now go forth and enforce a positive environment for your future students in the absence of proper laws to protect them from gun violence.

 

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