Unending School Shootings in America

The Second Amendment of the constitution of the united states protects the right of every American to bear arms and it is their go-to response whenever discussions about gun control are raised. So far in the last ten years, there have been 180 school shootings in America. These shootings have claimed a total of 356 lives. 

I find it ironic that for a country whose slogan is “In God We Trust'' Americans sure do love their guns. Statistically, as of 2021, 42% of Americans own at least one gun, it is not only a cultural significance, it is a show of power imbued to every American by the Second Amendment.

In 2022 alone, there have been 27 school shootings in America already. To anyone with half a brain, these numbers would be alarming and you will think Americans themselves would be at the forefront of the move to regulate gun ownership. Instead, every move to regulate gun ownership has been met with constant backlash and disdain. In an experimental report carried out by CNN, they discovered that it is easier for a teenager in America to buy guns than for them to buy beer.

School shootings were very common in the US prior to 2000

Before the 2000s, school shootings in America were as common as sighting a shooting star; it was a rare occurrence. However, in the 2000s the number of school shootings began to go up. In the year 2000 alone there were six school shootings, this number has seen a steady rise over the years.

Different methods have also been put in place to curb this menace but they have all failed astonishingly. The introduction of metal detectors in schools has also failed as students have found creative ways to beat the metal detectors. What many thought as an isolated incident or a one-off in Flint, Michigan in the year 2000 has gone on to become a pandemic even worse than Covid-19. 

In the past decade, there have been 180 school shootings in America alone, no other country in the world has this rate of mass shootings. For a country that prides itself as the world's moral compass and big brother, the United States cannot even guarantee that its children graduate high school in one piece. Rather than tackle the accessibility to guns, those in authority have continued to blame mental illness as the root cause of this never-ending menace. 

It is not just schools that are affected by shootings in America

Schools are not the only institutions affected by the horror of shootings, the United States has witnessed more public mass shootings than any other country in the world. According to the gun violence archive, the United States has witnessed over 200 mass shootings in 2022 alone. This makes it obvious that there is indeed a gun problem in America. According to reports, the united states has the highest number of private gun ownership in the world, it is also the country with the highest number of children killed by gun violence and the highest rate of gun deaths.

The solution to this menace lies in the ability of congress to separate political bias from safeguarding the lives of the nation's children and its people. The United States is split into two political factions, the Democrats and the Republicans. While Democrats in Congress have continued to push and clamor for stricter gun legislation. On the opposing side, the Republicans in Congress are opposed to any new gun laws and have continued to demand that the second amendment be upheld.

How easy is it to get guns in the United States?

Guns, like biscuits, are readily available in any store in the United States. Those who wish to purchase firearms need not have documentation or a license to bear arms in many States in America. They can simply walk into a store and come out with a gun. 

It doesn't help that many schools have begun to mandate that class teachers begin to carry firearms in the class to prevent their students and themselves during an active shooting situation. This is redundant because it is not the duty of the teacher to protect the student but the duty of the state.

The government has only relegated their duty to the teachers instead of taking a definitive step toward ending gun violence totally. The only solution to this problem is to make accessibility to firearms as minimal as possible and with proper documentation. Until this happens, public shootings will continue to integrate into the culture of the United States.