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Gun Control

It's time for change.

By Mary CaitlynPublished 6 years ago 2 min read
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A Sandy Hook memorial sign.

"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."

When our founding fathers wrote that into the supreme law of our country, the types of guns took about 1-2 minutes to unload, maybe less if you were well trained. These guns were large and cumbersome, capable of only firing one shot at a time.

Let's talk about some of the worst school shootings in American history, starting in 1999.

  • April 20th, 1999
Two students by the name of Dylan Klebold and Eric Harris opened fire at approximately 11:19 at Columbine High School. The two boys carried homemade bombs, killing 13 and wounding 23. Klebold and Harris committed suicide in the school library at 12:08. After five long hours, the school was declared under control by law enforcement.
  • February 27, 2012
TJ Lane, a notorious name in my home state of Ohio, opened fire at Chardon High School in Chardon, Ohio. Lane killed one student on the spot and wounded four others. Of the four he wounded, two died due to the injuries they sustained. Lane became infamous for wearing a white t-shirt to his court date with the word "Killer" written in sharpie across his chest, much to the dismay of the families of his victims.
  • December 14, 2012

Probably one of the worst shootings with 28 dead, Adam Lanza, a 20-year-old with mental issues opened fire on 20 children at Sandy Hook elementary. All of these children were between the ages of 6-7. Along with the 20 kids, six adults of the faculty died as well. The final two? His own mother and himself.

  • February 14, 2018

Nicholas Cruz, 19, opened fire at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, from which he had recently been expelled from. He used an AR-15 assault rifle to kill 17 students and wound 14 others. Cruz set off a fire alarm to draw students out of their classrooms. Thankfully, this did not work, as the school had already had a fire drill earlier in the day. Cruz was arrested and was charged with 17 counts of premeditated murder.

These shootings are only a handful that are considered the worst school shootings in our history. This does not include children who got their hands on their parent's guns and killed one or two classmates, or a student who committed murder or suicide on school grounds.

So what do all of these shootings have in common?

1. The Shooters

All of these people had mental disorders of some kind, or exhibited early warning signs of possible homicidal tendencies. Some of these shooters had posted disturbing photos or posts. TJ Lane had written a poem of some type, painting him as a godlike figure that needed to kill off "peasants." Nicolas Cruz had posted photos of what appeared to be an arsenal of some type. Klebold had kept a diary in which he had committed his darkest thoughts and desires, mainly the desire to kill. Adam Lanza was just insane; his entire life was a warning sign.

2. The Weapons

The shooters all managed to get their hands on these guns quite easily. For example, Cruz purchased his gun without a hitch. An AR-15 assault rifle, without so much as a blink of an eye. What does that say about gun sales in our country? The others either had friends buy the guns for them or took them out of their homes.

I'm not suggesting that we take away our guns, but I am, however suggesting that we start backgrounds checks on people's mental health. There are so many things we could do to prevent further deaths, but the NRA and the crazily conservative "let me speak to the manager" types are holding out on any type of reform. Their interpretation of "the right to bear arms" has been blown way out of proportion and I can't help but wonder when they will wake up and realize that there needs to be a change.

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About the Creator

Mary Caitlyn

As a 20 year old geek who tries to have a positive outlook in life, I'm all about acting, singing, art, and writing. I'm a feminist and mental health activist. Read my articles, and help me pay my tuition!

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