Order Number |
636738393092 |
Type of Project |
ESSAY |
Writer Level |
PHD VERIFIED |
Format |
APA |
Academic Sources |
10 |
Page Count |
3-12 PAGES |
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Grace Henderson
The Shooters don’t have to Shoot
School shootings in the United States have become a normality in the news. Since the year 2000 there have been over 230 school shootings in the United States (NECN). The amount of attacks per year is growing. Over the twenty years plus years of school shootings there has been minimal effort to help reduce the amount of school shootings happening in the United States.
There needs to be more research done to help learn why these shootings are happening, to find out what the shooter’s motive is. The majority of mass shootings are in schools. There are factors that need to be more heavily researched in the shootings that have happened. The state of mental illness the shooter was in, their home and family life, their motive, their relation to the school, and their social life and friend group at school.
Was the shooter seeking revenge? All these elements come into play when trying to figure out why the shooter wants to attack. School shootings in the United States have become a normality, with the proper prevention strategies these shootings can be prevented.
Something needs to be done to prevent these shootings from happening. Whether it’s better protection systems within the schools, or it’s taking more interest in the mentally ill and recognizing when people need help. Enough innocent children have died from these attacks and something needs to be done. These children need to be protected in an environment meant for growing and learning.
These shooters think that attacking these schools will relieve them of some pain that they are feeling. Some plan these attacks to prove their hatred of the world, “I hate the fucking world, too much god damn fuckers in it. Too many thoughts and different societies all wrapped up together in this fucking place called AMERICA“ (Harris, 1).
Some of these attacks are plotted meticulously, seeking revenge, “Saturday, October 26, 2013, the 13th of December is a great date, as the 347th (47 is a great number) date of the year, there are 18 (my age) days left. It is a day of gore, filled with murder, suicide” (Pierson journal).
The unexpected attacks are truly the most heart breaking. A person with a good life at home, a generally happy kid, is one of the last people you would expect to do such a thing. Most of these shooters end up taking their own life and the school shooting is their way of going out with a bang.
Trying to shoot down as many bodies as possible before it’s time to take their own life, “As of this date I have enough explosions to kill about 100 people, and then if I get a couple bayonets, swords, axes, whatever I’ll be able to kill at least 10 more. And that just isn’t enough!” (Harris, 8). Eric Harris, of the Columbine High School Massacre, had a lot of issues, he was bullied his whole life and was furious with the people in his school that made him so miserable.
He went into school the day of the shooting and shot as many people as he could, knowing he would end up killing himself in the end. Something like this could have been stopped if the people around him were to check in on him and help him fight his anger.
The biggest step that can be taken right now is to advance protection in schools. There have been advancements in school security systems using AI-technology to detect guns and weapons, “One of these systems, developed by Patriot One Technologies, integrates a microwave radar scanner with a popular artificial intelligence (AI) technique that is trained to identify guns and other hidden weapons” (Psu,1).
While legislators and advocates are arguing over gun laws there are efforts being made to make gun safety and security the number one priority. This advancement was made by a school shooting victim’s uncle who wanted to make a difference in protection of schools.
If all else fails gun laws can be addressed. Without the second amendment of The Constitution “A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed” (“The Constitution of the United States,” Amendment 2).
The amount of shootings would significantly decrease because less people would have access to the weapons that play a major role in these attacks. Without the legal ownership of guns in the United States people would have less knowledge how to use and operate guns. Access to guns is only half the problem.
If a person with a serious mental condition has access to a gun it can be very dangerous. But unfortunately trying to change these laws is almost impossible due to the 2nd amendment of The Constitution which must be upheld. Taking away these laws would undermine the fundamental ideas of American democracy and liberty.
Having an age limit does not do much to stop minors from getting their hands on guns. “Thirty percent of U.S. adults say they personally own a gun, while a larger percentage, 43%, report living in a gun household” (Saad,1). Roughly 43% of American households have guns, most of them unwilling to give them up.
While laws remain unchanged, there are safety issues that need to be addressed in schools that can help prevent school shootings and gun violence. Mental health issues need to be a top priority in schools. The rates of mental health issues have dramatically increased over the past twenty years and it correlates with the growing rates of school shootings.
“The percentage of young Americans experiencing certain types of mental health disorders has risen significantly over the past decade, with no corresponding increase in older adults, according to research published by the American Psychological Association” (American Psychological Association, 1). Most school shooters have a known mental illness and it helps drive them to attack.
Students need to be provided with a safe learning environment. Schools will start to hire more counselors and mental help professionals to help with the increasing mental health issue. Bullying among students is a huge problem in schools. When kids get bullied it makes them both sad and angry. This anger in bully victims can lead to violence, if the bullying is stopped early enough kids may not resort to violence as the answer.
Americans have strong views about their weapons and gun laws. A lot of Americans would be unwilling to give up their rights to their guns. People may argue that taking guns away will not solve the problem.
Another issue that arises when it comes to security in schools is that not all schools have the funds to support such high tech security. These artificial intelligence security systems are not cheap and not easy to come by. It will cause commotion between the schools that are able to afford the system and those who are not.
Kids may also feel violated of their personal space with everyone always suspicious of their surroundings. With the amount of mental health issues arising, the teachers and faculty may not be able to catch every student who is having problems. Schools may not be able to afford the extra help they need to take care and check in with the students. Some schools may not be able to afford counselors and nurses, and students may not be able to receive the help they deserve.
In conclusion, with the steady unsuccessfulness of the changing of the gun laws, actions must be taken to protect the future victims from these shootings. Preparation for such events is essential. Student’s mental health needs to be carefully observed and monitored. Bullying needs to be stopped as soon as possible to prevent future violence.
Weapon detecting artificial intelligence security systems need to be regulated across the United States. If all of this can happen the amount of school shootings in the United States can decrease dramatically. School shootings in the United States have become just an ordinary story in the news. If the correct prevention strategies are put in place, future shootings can be prevented.
Works Cited
Zegers, Kelly. “By the Numbers: School Shootings Since Columbine.” NECN, NECN, 19 Apr. 2019, www.necn.com/news/national-international/school-shootings-since-columbine/1908046/.
Saad, Lydia. “What Percentage of Americans Own Guns?” Gallup.com, Gallup, 8 Apr. 2020, news.gallup.com/poll/264932/percentage-americans-own-guns.aspx.
Hsu, Jeremy, et al. “New in School: AI-Driven Gun Detection Systems.” Undark Magazine, 30 Sept. 2019, undark.org/2018/08/06/new-in-school-ai-driven-gun-detection-systems/.
“Mental Health Issues Increased Significantly in Young Adults over Last Decade.” ScienceDaily, ScienceDaily, 15 Mar. 2019, www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2019/03/190315110908.htm.