I became acutely aware of the mass shooting issue in this country when in fourth grade, right after the Sandy Hook Shooting. After I found out, I spent some time wondering if I would ever experience the type of terror inflicted on the kids at Sandy Hook Elementary, hoping beyond hope that I wouldn’t.

In my freshman year, I realized it would not be enough just to hope anymore. I was only 15 when 17 people lost their lives at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, an hour away from my home. Many were my age, some were older. I knew the moment I heard the news that if our government would not stand against the killings of innocent children, someone had to.

Source: MarketWatch

Source: Al Jazeera

Source: ABC News

To this day, I wish I didn’t have to. I really, really, wish I didn’t have to. No one tells you how exhausting it is to constantly attend events honoring the victims of another shooting, or to scream at the top of your lungs at a protest, hoping someone out there is listening. No one explains that try as you might, the likelihood is that mass shootings will still occur, and people will still die.

One of the worst parts about the fight against mass shootings is that after each such event time passes, people forget. It is so difficult watching my peers struggle with the news and forcing themselves to move on because they know there will be little to no action taken. No action taken for so many deaths.

And when communicating with others regarding why we should take action, I struggle to understand why we wouldn’t. Why is it so hard to take action when some easy clear cut solutions are right in front of us? Red flag laws and closing the background check loophole do not affect lawful gun owners, and yet even these small steps do not happen.

Source: Nicole Markus

I will keep repeating that last point. To lawful gun owners, these laws will not affect you. They will simply prevent a select few of those who should not lawfully own a gun from hurting others. And that, to me, seems like common sense. So please, consider joining the cause and helping. Consider signing petitions to close the background check loophole. Consider supporting common-sense legislation like the Red Flag Law. And consider telling your friends to help, too.

I would much rather pass these laws than see one more preventable death at the hands of violence. I would rather fight the never-ending fight if it meant that no one else would be harmed. And you should too.



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