The Wrong Hands

A sea of red flowed down the hallway on Valentine’s Day- not from red banners, red paper hearts, red cards or even from red confetti, but from the blood of innocent children.On a day where people everywhere are supposed to spread love, the only thing that spread was unimaginable shock and sadness. 

It was February 14th, 2018 when 17 lives were taken from us in Parkland, Florida. Being a student in a Florida high school, that could’ve been me. Schools are supposed to be safe places where many students work hard for their future, not a place where their lives are taken.

Picture the lives of the families who lost their son, daughter, best friend, or father. Picture how it would be if none of them were killed. The reason that these students were shot and killed was because a gun was in the wrong hands.

Every single year, there are about 15,809 deaths in the United States (US), and 10,945 of those deaths are from firearms. (CDC) Most people don’t understand that most of the deaths in the United States are from guns. 

Guns are not only a problem in third world countries like El Salvador or Cape Verde where the sound of gunfire are a common occurrence, but also in first world countries such as the United States. Although the lives of those who died cannot be taken back, there can be certain measures taken into account that can prevent people from dying in the future. 

There are many steps needed to prevent the firearm from getting into the hands of “to-be” criminals, just like in countries like Japan or the Republic of Korea. Small steps are needed in order to make big changes possible.

Japan has a very intricate and successful procedure to get a hold of a gun. There is a full day class, a written exam, a skill test at a shooting range, a drug test, and finally a mental health evaluation. Assuming that all the tests have been passed, the future gun owner files with the police, who then run a background check. (CNN, Amanpour) 

Japan is a country with almost no mass shootings in the recent history. Japan had 6 gun deaths in 2014 while the USA had 33,599 (BBC) gun deaths. Because the US had 18 mass shootings in 2018 and it is only February, the United States should learn from what Japan does for gun control. This is just a small step that can be taken to stop mass shootings from occurring. 

It is important to raise awareness about what is going on. There are thousands of people who are bringing support to this cause through marches, fundraisers, and especially, social media. Social Media has been a very important part of this gun control movement with pictures, videos, and statements circulating around the web persuading people to show support for what is going on.

One thing that has been brought to my attention was a social media message asking for a student walkout during school for 17 minutes to remember the lives lost in a month away from the shooting. 

Gun control is something that is necessary to keep guns out of the wrong hands. Unfortunately, there aren’t too many steps being taken for gun control. However, changes can he made.

It isn’t too late, especially since future shootings can be prevented. There are countries around the world that have decreased deaths from guns because of the measures they took. It is vital that all people show support for this cause, to not only save the lives of people, but also to make the world a safer place.              

Writer, is a High School Student in Orlando Florida and she likes science, photography and creative writing