Are we becoming 'numb' to school shootings?
Hannah Elshennawi
Dr. O'Brien
Language and Literature 2
03/10/2025
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Opening up the news or the media is hard sometimes. Upon opening, heartbreaking and repetitive news is displayed, and in one too many cases, school shooting reports. School shootings have become so countless and have the same outcomes every time. First, the shooting happens. Next, it gets on the news and, in some cases, spreads through the media. The parents of those who were injured are interviewed, all grieving their lost loved one. After that, in even less cases, some people speak out about it and beg for change. Then, government officials make petty promises yet don't make much change. The topic then quickly stops spreading around the media and stops being a "trend" and life goes on like nothing ever happened. Unfortunately, school shootings aren't even spread around the media as they used to be. It's become so repetitive to the point where now it seems - familiar. Almost as if it's inevitable and non-preventable. School shootings have just been "trends" that circle the media, hot at the moment, but eventually forgotten.
In 1994, two acts were passed in order to potentially prevent both school shootings and gun violence. There was the "Youth Handgun Safety Act" which prohibits anyone under 16 from knowingly possessing a handgun (2004). Soon after, on December 16th, 1994, a fourteen-year-old girl killed four victims at a school shooting in Abundant Life Christian High School in Madison Wisconsin (2024). Another act was enacted on March 31, 1994 called the "Gun-Free Schools Act." This act was passed requiring public schools to report any incident in which a student brings a gun or firearm on school property (2025). Ironically, less than a month later on April 21st, 1994, a John Trotwood Moore Middle School student shot his fellow classmate with an Armi Galassi (2018).
The government isn't doing enough to prevent these school shooting and instead they make empty promises. While they were trying to ban TikTok, there were dozens of school shootings and even more people dead because of them. Tax money paid by the Americans is constantly being used for the wrong things and this is why we keep hearing about the school shootings. So many of the shootings that already happened could've been prevented by intervening with troubled kids (2019) or taking a hint when kids make these treats or when we see these warning signs (2019).
To conclude, I believe that we as a society and the government are become numb to school shootings. That the laws and regulations are helpful, but not enough. I believe more action should be taken by both us as a society and the government to prevent school shootings. Too many kids and teens show signs of a shooting for us to not do anything about them and say they aren't preventable.
“Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.” ATF I 5300.2 - Youth Handgun Safety Act Notice | Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, 2004, www.atf.gov/firearms/docs/guide/atf-i-53002-%E2%80%94-youth-handgun-safety-act-notice.
Shapiro, Emily, et al. “Abundant Life Christian School Shooting Latest: Motive Appears to Be Combination of Factors, Police Say.” ABC News, ABC News Network, 17 Dec. 2024, abcnews.go.com/US/madison-school-shooting-abundant-life-latest/story?id=116856483.
“Reports on the Implementation of the Gun-Free Schools Act.” Reports on the Implementation of the Gun-Free Schools Act | National Center on Safe Supportive Learning Environments (NCSSLE), safesupportivelearning.ed.gov/reports-implementation-gun-free-schools-act. Accessed 12 Mar. 2025.
“The 1994 Nashville School Shooting.” The Tennessean, 2018, www.tennessean.com/picture-gallery/news/local/2018/10/08/the-1994-nashville-school-shooting/37789819/.
Herbert, Gerald. “School Shootings Could Be Prevented If We Intervened in Cases of Troubled Students.” NBCNews.Com, NBCUniversal News Group, 8 Dec. 2019, www.nbcnews.com/think/opinion/school-shootings-could-be-prevented-if-we-intervened-cases-troubled-ncna1097376.
Gulezian, Lisa Amin. “New Study Says Most School Shootings Could Have Been Prevented.” ABC7 San Francisco, 8 Nov. 2019, abc7news.com/secret-service-us-united-states-school-shootings/5682603/.
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I found this to be an very interesting take on school shootings. And, yes, I agree... it is hard to see such an increase in school shootings around the nation.
ReplyDeleteThis blog post is really well done! I think you address a lot of important points and you structure your paragraphs really well.
ReplyDeleteI wholeheartedly agree with your post. I think this is a problem, and one that many people have largely forgotten about or just become numb to. The part about the government's lenience reminds me of how Uni seemingly gets a new TV every month, but it took them years to get new compasses for the math department...
ReplyDeleteI think this blog post makes some great points! I completely agree, this is definitely a problem that needs to be addressed and I appreciated reading someone else's opinion on the situation. I liked the information you used to support your points and overall thought it was a very well-written post.
ReplyDeleteThis blog post addresses a lot of fair points, and I like your point about using taxes for the wrong things, when the government should be more focused on preventing these shootings. Good post!
ReplyDelete