A seemingly normal school day in Newtown, Connecticut, who knew that it would turn into one of the most devastating days of they would ever experience. About 2 years ago, students at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut were involved in the most devastating event of the year. According to an article by the Huffington Post, a mentally troubled man in his twenties named Adam Lanza shot 20 children and six staff members, with his mother’s weapons. His mother had apparently grown up with guns and thought it would be good to have in their house. Prior to driving to the school, he even shot his mother, but his motive is unknown. He drove to the school leaving a 12-gauge shotgun in the car, walking towards the school, he shot through the front entrance. “Lanza moved toward two classrooms of kindergartners and first-graders,” police said. Within five minutes he managed to kill 20 students ages 6 and 7 and six adults. He had fired more than 150 shots from a .223-caliber Bushmaster rifle. When police started to arrive he shot himself in the head, taking his own life. This incident was the deadliest mass shooting at a grade school in the US; in total 26 lives were lost. The issue of gun violence is critical in America because too many lives have been lost because of it. If there were restrictions on guns, the number of casualties would decrease. Background checks are important to have, if the U.S. wants to limit the amount of dangerous people getting guns. According to a study started in December 20121, 9,901 people have been killed since the Newtown shooting, not including suicides. Since Newtown, there have been 16 mass shootings. If there were restrictions on guns, the number of mass shootings would have to decrease, becau... ... middle of paper ... ...t get along with. They usually have conflict among themselves and want to shoot and kill each other because of that. In their ‘kill or be killed’ lifestyle, it’s every man for themselves. It has been said that Chief Keef, a rapper who lives in Chicago, known among most teenagers, is increasing gang violence. He may not necessarily be in a gang himself, but he raps about them. In his songs he raps about gangs, drugs, and violence; the fact that most teens nowadays listen to his songs it increases violence among them. To conclude, guns should not be in the hands on individuals unless they get a thorough background check. Background checks should thoroughly check through medical records and criminal records. Police officers and military personnel should be the only ones allowed to have guns with them in public, while the people should only have guns where it’s legal.
Sandy Hook is an elementary school in Connecticut that was invaded by a shooter, Adam Lanza. Twenty-eight people were shot and killed, twenty of them being children between the ages of five and ten. Before Lanza arrived, he shot and killed his mother who was a teacher at this school. The article was published the day of the shooting to the Washington Post. The article was written announce what had actually happened during this tragic event. The article was directed towards parents with kids and adults to inform everyone on the catastrophe and to hopefully make schools as safe as they could possibly be. Additionally the author also states that this is not the right time to try and discuss the gun control laws.
The deadliest school shooting to have ever happened in the United States at a high school or grade school, happened less than two years ago. On December 14th, 2012, Adam Lanza, who was twenty years old at the time, shot his mother, Nancy Lanza, four times and then brought firearms to his former grade school Sandy Hook Elementary, and fatally shot twenty children and six adults. Then the shooter put his own gun to his head and fatally shot himself. All of the children were between the ages of six and seven years old, and all six adults who were shot and killed were females who worked at the school. Lanza's father believed that if he were there himself, his son would have had no trouble shooting and killing him too.
Countless individuals across the world are fighting for: freedom, religious convictions and more commonly for their children future. The devastating attack that had happened in Sandy Brook Elementary School in America that led to few deaths and injuries of youths. Which makes individuals question is educational institutes even a safe place for children. Additionally, there are more shootings in America compared to other nations as Gopink states “ United States has more gun violence than other countries because we have more guns and are willing to sell them to madmen who want to kill people.”(Gopinak, 2007, p. 458 ). This demonstrates that United States is just not inclined to take any action on gun control which is leading to deaths of children and adults. Some individuals believe handguns are not needed in American 's society. Then those who oppose gun control argue guns are a necessity to: hunting in the wild, self-defense, and it is part of the American culture. Furthermore, gun violence is having a vast impact on loved ones; losing a family member can have enormous affect socially, physical and mentally.
...e can finally put some of the missing puzzle pieces together. Such as the motives Adam Lanza had for the shootings, and why he targeted children. Also with a little knowledge about how school shootings/violence is increasing every day. We can see how most of these shootings are always relating about the same motives, bulling. Understanding the characteristics of the shooters and the causes of most school violence/shootings can help us look for signs and hopefully stop the tragedy before it happens. As a future teacher, I know what kind of signs to look for in my students or people in general to help them before an event like the Sandy Hook happens again. Hopefully the government will come to a complete choice about gun laws and we can start to see some kind of different on their end. However, this issue needs to be focused more on for us to start seeing a decrease.
School shootings seemed like a new phenomenon, but they occurred for the majority of American history. The first school shooting occurred On July 26, 1764, when a Lenape Indian shot and killed nine children and the school master of the Greencastle, Pennsylvania school (Galvin): as noted in Appendix A. Since 1764, the number of school shootings rose exponentially. In the 1990’s, eighty-six school shootings occurred and between 2000 and 2014, 110 shootings transpired since 2000 (Killam,2008). The development of semiautomatic weapons lead to an increase in deaths. A study conducted in 1990 found through the years of 1986 to 1990; 71 people died, 201 wounded, and 242 people held hostage by school shooters(Galvin). While the area a school serves as one factor in the number of violent acts committed per year, school shootings have not been connected to this. The schools in Chicago dealt with more violent acts, but Sandy Hook Elementary, a small city school had relatively few violent acts committed by students.
Although the Second Amendment prevents the federal government from completely banning guns in America, limited restrictions are allowed on the distribution and possession of firearms. Certain groups of people such as criminals, the mentally unstable, and soldiers dishonorably discharged from the military are prohibited from possessing or interacting with firearms (Flynn). These restrictions are enforced by background checks in some states on both a state and federal level. However, gun laws vary from state to state and are often not thorough enough; the background checks are flawed due to lack of information and misinformation, and guns can easily end up in the hands of criminals and malevolent individuals. The ease of obtaining a firearm in America fosters crime and a dangerous environment. Hence, the Second Amendment should be reinterpreted so that stricter gun laws can be implemented because modern citizens do not require guns, current background checks are flawed, gun...
One of the most heavily debated subjects today in the United States is guns. Over the last few years, mass shootings and spree shootings have been covered widely in the media. It leaves many Americans wondering how we can just sit by and let this happen. However, this is no easy task to attempt to solve or something that will just go away overnight. Taking away the guns won 't solve anything or just fix the problem as a whole. The United States constitution not only protects, but guarantees the right to bear arms as an American citizen. Why should we let the acts of a few sick and mentally ill ruin the right for the rest of law abiding citizens. The focus should center more around tougher background checks and mental health. Many Americans,
On April 16th, 2007 Cho had created one of the most deadly school shootings in America. ( "Virginia Tech Shootings Fast Facts." CNN.) It was unfathomable to think that in the close future, America would encounter many more detrimental school shootings. This is including the shooting of elementary students in Newtown, CT where Adam Lanza had shot and killed 27 children and faculty. Lanza had been known to have significant health issues that had kept him from living a normal life. (Sanchez, Ray, Chelsea J. Carter in Atlanta, Yon Pomrenze in New York, and The CNN New York Bureau Staff. ) Both of these shooters had killed themselves shortly after their attacks. School violence has become a nation-wide issue.
On December 14, 2012 Adam Lanza, a 20 year old with asperger’s syndrome, shot his way into Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut . According to the final report by the states attorney’s office he got in the school at 9:30 AM in the morning and shot the principal and the school’s psychologist that went out to the hallway to check loud bangs they heard. He then moved on to class rooms where innocent children were learning and started shooting and by 9:40 AM, just ten minutes later, he took the lives of twenty six people, including twenty children age twelve and below and six adults, before taking his own life (State Report on Sandy Hook Elementary shooting).
Today in the United States many people argue over the fact of guns being legal or illegal. There are people using guns for personal safety and there are others who use them for crimes, as well as for other situations. Firearm deaths in the United States have slowly been decreasing from year to year with all these bills getting passed to promote a safer country than ever before. Guns are the main weapon for youth suicide, school shootings, and for committing murder. In 2010 there were 2,711 infants, child, and teenage firearm deaths. As in school shootings and in committing murder, studies show shooters often had multiple, non-automatic guns, shootings were planned, most youth tell before shooting, shooters have a history of being bullied or threatened, shooters have mental issues, and shooters have done suicidal gestures before (Gun Control with School Shootings). Although there are people who use guns for murdering, there are also those who oppose guns being used without the proper requirements. 85% of all respondents to the survey supporting requiring states to report people to national background-checks systems who are prohibited from owning gu...
Written on December 15, 1791 was the second amendment of the constitution. It states that "A well-regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed."(Cite)? United States citizens have used guns for various reasons that include protection, hunting, and sporting reasons. The topic on gun control is a very complex topic that is discussed daily. It is such a big issue that it has both the democrats and republicans firmly established in their positions. One of the main reasons this has been such an important topic in recent years is because of all the murders and massacres that have happened recently in the United States. As our newly nominated president, Donald
Another controversial issue in America is the issue of gun control. The Second Amendment to the Constitution guarantees the right to keep and bear arms. However, the extant of this right remains highly debated. In the past two decades, massive killing sprees and school shootings have given rise to debates about this issue. In the 1990s the prevalence of guns in our society has allowed these mass killings to occur, angering a majority of the Americans. Therefore, in the 1990s there was a massive public push for stricter gun control with the majority of 60 percent Americans thinking laws needed to be stricter (Figure 4). However, as state laws became stricter and shootings became more prevalent there was a push back on gun control in a few short
According to the Second Amendment in the Constitution, the citizens have the right to possess and bear arms. This is still a big issue in today 's society as we are in the 21st century the use of guns has changed significantly. The fact that crime has increased and that the right to own a handgun has been a hot issue have made many Americans question whether gun and crime are directly related. The issue of gun control, in an attempt to reduce crime rates in The United States has also been a topic of discussion that seems to have many people divided on the issue. Even though many people believe gun control violates the right to bear arms which is in the constitution, Americans know that more strict rules need to be put in place to because of
Recently, state legislators and court rulings have made it possible for students on certain college campuses to carry concealed weapons. This is due in part to the shootings that have happened over the years and the increasing threat of unknown enemies. However, the issue has come into question and concern on college campuses. Some argue that guns on campus should be a choice left up to the individual, after all it is their 2nd Amendment right. Others would say that college campuses are a place of learning, a place that does not require firearms at all. Lastly, there are those who say that stricter gun laws would prevent crimes and shootings.
The discussion about gun control is far-gone, and America should enact laws that will require gun owners to register their firearms. A background check on every citizen bearing a gun is necessary so that guns do not land in the arms of felons and the mentally ill. Thinking that people can use guns to fight for their liberty is a far gone idea that needs a second thought. However, gun control is not the only solution because it is necessary to educate the population on the risks of keeping guns and asking them to remit the guns at their own will.