Modern Warfare: The Rise Of An Armed Generation
By Hadassa Delhomme
Editor-in-Chief
Two high school massacres, separated by nearly 19 years, held the same fate at the hand of troubled students given access to firearms after the Marjory Stoneman Douglas attack.
In 1999, two gunmen overtook Columbine High School, killing 12 students and injuring more than 20 others. The event, synonymous with the initial start of an era of gun violence, has stood as one of the deadliest in American history. As gun violence has seen new heights since the Columbine attack, many have called for immediate legislation.
“There evidently is a need for more rules and regulations pertaining to being able to purchase a gun,” said Sarah Galati, junior. “Around the country, many have given up their guns in protest of these mass shootings, and I believe we as a country should follow the same narrative.”
Per a study conducted by The Washington Post earlier this year, more than 150,000 Americans have experienced a shooting on campus since the landmark event in 1999. After the tragedy in Parkland, another 3,000 survivors can be added to the growing list.
According to the Gun Violence Archive, a mass shooting is defined as any shooting that kills four or more people, excluding the gunman. By these standards, there have been 1,624 mass shootings in the past five years in the U.S. As indicated in many national outlets, no other developed nation approaches to gun violence comparable to that of America.
“It starts with education; it is imperative for us to be more mindful of our surroundings and aware of possible dangers,” said Romina Benzeray, senior. “It is easy to bicker about these situations rather than find a middle ground. We need to stop the arguments and begin focusing on mental health in America.”
While school shootings have not generally been among the deadliest in American history, the situation at Stoneman Douglas is a prime example of the increasing gun violence rates. Throughout recent years, the number of lives taken via school attacks has only grown.
After the initial attack at Columbine, shootings in places of education have become somewhat regular occurrences. In 2007, Virginia Tech suffered an attack killing 32. Five years later, Sandy Hook Elementary School saw 20 students and six adults murdered before the gunman, Adam Lanza, took his own life.
19 years have passed since Columbine, and the nation continues its cycle of a never-ending argument rather than finding a compromise.
