Tired of Grieving Mothers and Lamenting Politicians

Sometimes when I’m walking through campus I get this odd, indescribable chill that sprints down the arch of my spine. I feel paranoid. I find myself looking at every person walking in my vicinity. I scavenge the empty cavities of the airport/shopping mall-like UHALL building of Loyola Marymount University. Sometimes the tension at my school is so dense, I can almost feel the looming bullets in the air.

To my surprise, when I described that feeling to my class, every student and even the professor knew exactly the feeling I was describing above: the inherent fear of a school shooting. Recently, tensions at my university have been tumultuous at best. With die-hard Trump supporters mixing with liberal students, sprinkled with all of President Trump’s recent executive orders it’s almost like you could cut the air with a butter knife.

Though, why is it that campus shootings are the first thing that come to mind in times of disagreement and chaos? Why are those the weapons of choice? Maybe it’s because “In the 190 shooting incidents between the 2001-02 and 2015-16 school years, 437 people were shot, including 167 killed and 270 wounded. The victims included 290 students, 77 individuals not associated with the college, 40 employees, and five former students (we were unable to determine the relationship of 25 victims). An estimated 2.5 million students were enrolled at the 142 colleges where shootings occurred, and, thus, were directly or indirectly exposed to gun violence” (Crime Commission).

Or perhaps it’s because, anyone can go out and buy a gun? Remember the Santa Barbara school shooting? In reports, it became clear that Elliot had an extensive history of manic thoughts and actions which were not only addressed to his parents but also to the police from his therapist. 

However, because no one thought of aiding him, he decided to take the situation into his own hands and bought not one, not two but three weapons at different arms dealers within moments.  Let me add, that not only are there a surplus of individuals with Elliot’s mental instability, but thanks to Trump’s newest executive order, the mentally disabled can now buy guns.

You’d think that with a devastatingly drastic increase in school shootings that prompt regulations would be at the top of the priority list. Well, they’re not and at this rate are very unlikely to be. The problem with the conversation of gun-control, is that the moment it is mentioned Republicans scream “THEY WANT TO TAKE AWAY ALL OF OUR GUNS!!”  Well, no we don’t. In fact, I’m a firm believer in owning a gun, especially because I am a woman, and the world is a scary place for 110 pound Ellie.

However, I do believe in regulation. I believe in background checks, drug testing, mental checks the whole nine-yards. I mean, if we have to go through a drastically long process at hell-on-earth (aka the DMV) just to obtain a piece of paper that lets me operate a vehicle, why can’t there be a similar process when it comes to obtaining machinery specifically designed to kill humans?

Let me remind you that, GUNS DO NOT KILL PEOPLE. PEOPLE KILL PEOPLE.  However, with that being said, it is also important to tackle the understanding of why school shootings occur. In recent events, it became clear that school shootings occur largely in part of bullying. Yes, bullying doesn’t end in high-school, it’s very adamant across college campuses-especially if you mix in politics.

According to an accurate site, bullyonline.org, " it's funny how people who simply say "stand up for yourself" never, ever, tell you how to stand up for yourself” because this leads to kids lacking the knowledge of proper “physical, psychological, emotional and verbal self-defense”.

 I cannot stress enough the emotional impact bullying can have on an individual, and the importance of knowledge on what to do in such circumstances.  I believe that kids need to LEARN how to treat others and LEARN how to appropriately handle bullying. I accept the fact the bullying takes place everywhere from the playground to the office, but it is not something that one should brush of their shoulder and not take seriously.  Did you know that statistically, “harassment and bullying have been linked to 75% of school-shooting incidents” (makebeatsnotbeatdowns.org) ?

I feel like we’re not asking for too much. I feel that what we’re asking for benefits both sides respectively. Don’t you think that having active shooter drills on campuses nation-wide is alarming? That students and professors alike know all-to-well that indescribable ominous chill- that inherent fear of someone shooting up the halls of your school? I want to feel safe on my campus. I want to know that the mentally-ill have treatment, but don’t have access to weapons that have the potential to cause mass devastation. I’m really not asking for much, and for the last time- no, dear Republicans, no one said we want to take away all of your guns!