The Truth Behind Mass Shootings

The Parkland Shooting

Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you’ve definitely heard about the terrible tragedy that took place in Parkland, Florida at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School. Seventeen innocent students and staff lost their lives in another act of senseless gun violence. But this time? It seems like enough is enough.

In the past after a mass shooting occurred, the news would flood the internet and television- but only for a few days. After a couple of days passed, the shooting was marked as “just another tragedy” and people would move on to the next juicy headline. However, the shooting in Parkland has sparked a new fire in the gun debate, making it more heated than ever; and it seems like the pro-gun control side has a louder voice.

Children Take Charge

After the shooting, the students of Douglas High School took charge of influencing people all over the United States to start fighting the inaction in the government; and other students across the country also assumed leadership positions. Twitter accounts were created to start staging walkouts and suggesting ideas to create action in the government. Parkland students spoke at the Florida Capitol and with other federal lawmakers, along with attending a session with President Trump. Unfortunately for legislators who would rather run away from their duty rather than listen to their constituents, they are in session and are forced to respond to the situation at hand. This is unlike the Pulse Nightclub shooting, where the mass shooting was not directly addressed because the legislature was not in session and the public instead received dead silence.

People are just glad that someone - even if it is “just teenagers” - is willing to take action and force some common sense policy out of our government.

On February 21st, 2018, students staged walkouts all over the country in the newly-formed “#NeverAgain” movement. Thousands are attempting to have their voices heard and to support those who lost their lives. According to Daniel Gelillo from a Maryland high school, “students are taking to the streets because they’ve had enough of politicians’ inaction” (Huffington Post). Many schools weren’t opposed to such behavior, but one school in Texas actually threatened to suspend students for three days if they disrupted schools with protests.

The NRA

One of the reasons politicians fail to pass any sort of gun control policy is due to the power of the NRA, or the National Rifle Association. With close to five million members, it’s become a huge presence ever since its founding in 1871. The NRA is known for heavy political lobbying and giving generous donations to candidates they find to fit THEIR agenda. In order to demonstrate who they show political interest in, they give politicians grades from A to F based on their past record and their current friendliness in supporting gun rights, which usually can make or break a candidate’s ability to hold their seat or gain one in lawmaking.

The NRA’s response to the Parkland shooting is similar to the one after the Sandy Hook shooting: more guns. NRA officials argue that if teachers had guns or if there were an armed guard outside of the school, mass shootings would never occur. Unfortunately for the NRA, these statements on the Parkland shooting have led to major consequences with major businesses. Companies like Hertz, MetLife, Simplisafe, Symantec, First National Bank of Omaha, and more have ended discount programs with NRA members.

American Gun Policy

Unlike many developed countries, American federal gun policy is extremely limited. Most states impose their own regulations on guns, and many have very little regulations.

A federal restriction on guns involves the Gun Control Act of 1968 (GCA), which says you must be 18 to purchase shotguns and rifles (including ammunition) and 21 years of age to purchase all other firearms. Federal law also blocks the sale of firearms to fugitives, felons, people who unlawfully possessed controlled substances, people with certain restraining orders, unlawful migrants, dishonorably-discharged military personnel, and tourists (DW).

Those who want to legally sell firearms for a profit must obtain a Federal Firearms License and they must perform background checks, as mandated by the Brady Handgun Violence Prevention Act. However, if the person selling the gun doesn’t have an FFL, then they are not required to perform a background check.

Whether or not someone needs a permit to purchase or carry a weapon is determined by the states themselves, and this varies widely. Very few states require someone to have a permit to carry a firearm, and only a dozen states require a permit to purchase one.

The Gunshow Loophole is a common way for people who are disqualified from purchasing a firearm to get one. People can sell guns without an FFL, and if so, they are not required to perform a background check. This makes it easy for disqualified people to obtain a gun. “According to the ATF, anyone can sell a gun without an FFL from their home, online, at a flea market or at a gun show as long as he or she is not conducting the sale as part of regular business activity” (DW).

The State of Our Nation

It seems like our nation has become a stale, dark place. Constantly, both political parties fight profusely to implement their side of the argument into reality. However, they don’t realize that listening to others and to those around them can help mend so many issues- by comprising and finding a solution that works for everyone. In spite of this, the children of this nation have risen into leadership positions to fix what our representatives have failed to remedy; and maybe, our future will be so much brighter because of it.

Works Cited

Bomey, N. (2018, February 23). NRA-affiliated businesses shed ties after Parkland, Florida school shooting. Retrieved February 24, 2018, from https://www.usatoday.com/story/money/2018/02/23/nra-businesses-parkland-florida-school-shooting/366548002/g

Grenoble, R. (2018, February 21). School Walkouts Go Nationwide As Students Push For Gun Control. Retrieved February 24, 2018, from https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/school-walkout-gun-control-protest_us_5a8d9afae4b00a30a251a02d

Schweers, J. (2018, February 24). Parkland school shooting seen as turning point for gun control debate. Retrieved February 24, 2018, from https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation-now/2018/02/24/parkland-school-shooting-seen-turning-point-gun-control-debate/369914002/

US gun control: What is the NRA and why is it so powerful? (2016, January 08). Retrieved February 24, 2018, from http://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-35261394

(www.dw.com), D. W. (n.d.). 8 facts about gun control in the US | What you need to know | DW | 15.02.2018. Retrieved February 24, 2018, from http://www.dw.com/en/8-facts-about-gun-control-in-the-us/a-40816418

Image: https://www.wired.com/story/how-liberals-amped-up-a-parkland-shooting-conspiracy-theory/

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