Bang Bang! “All units 10-71 shots fired, El Paso Walmart many hit, get down there now.” This is what it sounds like in a mass shooting. It can feel scary, unpredictable, fast, sad, un-true–this is what happens. A major problem today is mass shootings.
Every year there are more mass shootings in America than the year before. In 2019 there were 409 mass shootings. Four hundred eighty-six people were killed, 1,642 were injured, 9 shootings took place in schools, and 2 took place in places of worship. By comparison in 2018, there were 323 mass shootings, 387 people were killed, and 1,274 people were wounded in these events. Three took place at schools and 1 at a Synagogue in Pittsburg. This shows that the mass shooting problem is only getting worse. Some people think teachers should carry guns in case of a mass shooting; personally, I disagree and think that every school should have a mass shooting drill to prepare everyone for the small chance that there is a shooter in their school.
It is difficult to pass gun control laws to stop people from getting guns illegally with the politics in Washington D.C. because Donald Trump believes in “give everyone guns” control. The Senate is Republican and the NRA is a very powerful group. After every mass shooting, politicians say they want to give aid but they don’t pass new laws to help control who is allowed to buy guns or ban some types of guns. The FBI is trying to stop mass shootings but it is impossible to stop them all. They happen almost every day in America. Some people who like guns because they like hunting or they believe that they need a gun just in case something happens like a home invasion may not like the fact that people are making it harder to buy guns. Britain is great because no one has guns, and it is much safer.
There is a lot of mental illness in this country that goes untreated because in the 1980’s President Ronald Regan closed a lot of mental hospitals. Also, mental illness is very expensive to treat and many people can’t afford health insurance. Even with health insurance, mental health care is too expensive for many people. I think many mass shootings involve mentally ill people because they couldn’t get support, or help. I think that if there is a solution to this and that even if it does take a while someone could eventually open up more mental hospitals and make them cheaper that a lot more people could get the aid they need.
In conclusion, hopefully someday the world will be without guns and mass shootings. I hope there will be higher gun laws as a first step to prevent mass shootings and stop any kind of shooting. Eventually, I’ve realized that preventing mass shootings might be impossible but people will always be trying. What do you think?
Sources:
The NRA’s Brand Isn’t Freedom — It’s Treason