There have been 421 mass shootings in 2023 in America as of August 02, 2023, that is more shootings than there are days in the year, and according to ABC News, these mass shootings have led to 465 deaths and 1,781 injuries.
Out of these shootings, 20+ of them have been in K-12 schools. No matter what political party you stand for, these numbers are not okay, and the danger these young children face is not okay either.
There are two main issues surrounding gun violence in the media, that is the availability of guns, as well as the need for more mental health help in the country.
The availability of guns does not only stem from the legal buying of guns, which has been made stricter throughout the years with laws, but also the availability to buy a gun just on the street or black market.
There have been many cases where a child has attained possession of a parent’s firearm and used it, whether by accident or not, to cause injury and sometimes even worse.
“A six-year-old boy who shot his teacher in Virginia had stolen his mother’s gun from their home before putting it in his backpack and pulling the trigger during class,” claimed an article in Daily Mail, an online news source in the US and UK.
A big argument around this story is whether parents should be responsible for their children’s availability to their firearms, many believing that there should be legal precautions put in place. There should be. Allowing guns to be accessible by children is a form of child endangerment.
Another main cause of these shootings is the need for mental health help in the United States, as many of the people who have perpetrated these shootings have been diagnosed with a mental illness or been the victim of bullying.
A start could be public schools reaching out to parents, counselors, and agencies and helping more when they see signs of someone struggling.
We can also begin to change the stigma around people reaching out for help with their struggles and make it clear that not being okay is okay, but there are other ways to deal with the struggles than to resort to violence.
