The year is 1791. Congress has just passed the second amendment: the right to bear arms (guns). The amendments ratification came in response to a widespread fear that the government would turn to tyranny, attempting to preserve a new form government never
I understand that guns are a problem everywhere–former President Trump was merely centimeters away from assassination in a state that doesn’t legally oblige gun owners to have a license–but for now I just want to focus on our schools from the point of view of a student.
It’s no secret that there has been a worsening trend in school shootings–we all hear and see the headlines every (what seems like) few weeks. Just this past Monday, September 16th, a child of a mere 11 years of age was arrested after making a school shooting threat in a Florida elementary school. In my opinion, we’re left with no other option. You can believe all you want about our ‘Constitutional Right’, but at the end of the day, lives are being lost. When Congress gave citizens the right to own a musket to protect themselves from the suspicion that the government could dampen the people’s power and role in democracy, they did not foresee children dying from semi-automatic rifles in hallways in schools.
Today, we have only seen a further divide in partisanship in this nation. This issue in particular has been a heated topic in our nation’s democracy. Liberals tend to want more restrictions on firearms while conservatives usually favor less restrictions. Speaking as a current student, I believe it is foolish to look at gun violence from a political standpoint because, tragically, Colt Gray at Apalachee High School in Atlanta Georgia didn’t care about political affiliation when he opened fire on his fellow classmates just a few days ago.
Massachusetts is a liberal state. Gun laws are pretty tight– for example training instructions and licensing is mandatory–and it is very difficult to get your hands on a firearm, but in other states like Florida and Georgia, schools are becoming dangerous places. Restrictions have to be tightened because tragedy will only continue to strike.
If there is any way we can avoid losing lives, then we should welcome it with open arms; because, as things stand, death is only inevitable. Kids are dying when they should be getting an education. That’s the bottom line.
My name is Benjamin DeMayo for the Braintree High News, and that is my take.
