Mass shootings in American schools have become an epidemic and have been for a long time. Dating all the way back to July 26, 1764, in Greencastle Pennsylvania. This epidemic has taken over America and it never gets any better. There have been tons of school shootings from 1764 to the present time. According to the Washington Post, there have been 376 school shootings since 1999 and more than 348,000 people have lost their lives due to gun violence in schools. Columbine high school 13 victims. Virginia Tech 32 victims. Sandy Hook 26 victims. Oikos University 7 victims. Umpqua community college 9 victims. Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School had 17 victims. Robb elementary school has 21 victims. The list goes on and on. 

The most recent school shooting was in a private school in  Nashville Tennessee. As a result, 3 students and 3 staff members lost their lives due to this terrible act. We have to wake up and put a stop to this terrible madness because so many adults and children have lost their lives just by going to work or getting an education. 

I’ve interviewed a student and some staff members in ACE to get their opinion on this madness. I asked a student how he felt and he said that this whole epidemic is sad because innocent children are losing their lives. He also feels like the government isn’t doing enough to put a stop to this. He suggests we limit firearms and have more officers in schools.

I had another interview with Ant the math teacher and he says he feels “disgusted and distorted” because “ there is a significant portion of our society that has lost the ability to do what’s hard and what’s right to protect our children and each other.” He says the legislatures are cowards and only care about themselves. He also says that the members of the government are too busy catering to the extreme views of the populist who won’t do what’s needed to protect a population. He tells us how it impacts his life and he says that it takes his faith in us as a nation away and it pushes him to keep working as a positive force.

In my last interview with Bob, our security officer, tells us that he doesn’t like violence and doesn’t believe guns are the problem – mental illness is the problem. He believes the government is too busy fighting with each other than protecting the people. Bob tells us how it affects his life and he says that he has to be aware of anything happening at any time. He tells us that schools are the main target and it is the safest place to do it. He says people go to schools to commit mass murder because it has the most effect. He says, “Nobody is going to go shoot up a police station because they are armed,” vs going to a school where nobody is armed. 

We have to put a stop to this terrible epidemic we have in America. We have to come together as a nation to work towards finding a solution to this terrible issue. No parent should have to worry about sending their kids to school. It needs to stop.