The Parkland Shooting: What Happens Now?

By Natalie Wysokowski

March 7th, 2018 - Greenville, New York News

On Valentine’s Day, a tragedy took place at a high school in Parkland, Florida. America is devastated as 17 students fell victim to a school shooting. There have been far too many instances in which innocent lives were taken during school shootings and Parkland has been an eye-opener for people across the nation. As Americans already know, this is not the first school shooting. There were many more, some worse than others, prior to the Parkland conflict. These horrifying occurrences should no longer be a trend.

So what is being done to stop events like this one from reoccurring?

For starters, President Trump has proposed several new laws that can benefit school safety and are currently under some criticism. He wishes to raise the legal bar that allows an individual to buy any type of gun at 18 and instead make the minimum age 21. Stronger background checks are also becoming more common in more states when one wishes to purchase a gun. Trump has also mentioned the possibility of arming teachers with weapons in order to bring more protection to the students. It has not been made clear whether or not he wishes to arm all teachers in general or those with a background in combat or special training. His statements repeatedly mention teachers that are “adept with guns.” Mental stability has also been highlighted after Parkland and there has been more demand for mental health treatment. Some believe a law should be passed that prohibits those who have been professionally diagnosed with a mental illness to possess any type of firearm. In the past, bills have been proposed in order to address this issue; however, after the Parkland incident it is clear that more people are pushing for this bill to pass.

While many of these laws are considered controversial and are presently undergoing debate, some major business chains have decided to take a step towards change by creating their own rules and regulations. For instance, Dick’s Sporting Goods has decided to ban the sale of assault-style weapons and refuse to sell guns to people under the age of 21. Walmart decided to raise the gun-buying age to 21 and removed any images from their website that resembled an assault rifle three years ago, long before the incident occurred. Hopefully Walmart has set the example for other businesses to follow suit, just as Dick’s Sporting Goods did. Other companies are making a statement by boycotting the National Rifle Association including airlines such as Delta and United, and car rental corporations Hertz and Avis.

The security of schools doesn’t just begin within the campus. It is important to speak up as a nation and start to take on changes that will prevent any threat entering American schools and harming any more students and teachers. School is a place for education and a haven for teens to begin making career-based choices and start to understand who they want to be as a person. This experience should not put their lives in danger. Let events like Columbine, Sandy Hook, and Parkland stay in the past; it’s time to embrace growth as a country.