Two more school mass shootings flooded the news last week. One took place in Saugus High School in Santa Clarita, California before classes started on Thursday, Nov. 14. The second one on Saturday, Nov. 16 during a football game in Atlantic County, New Jersey. The month of November alone has witnessed a total of 17. In the 46 weeks that have passed this year thus far, there have been 45 school shootings. United States citizens should be ashamed of these numbers.
While experts suggest that mass media channels are not to blame, it may seem as if they do have their own effect on the individual, and especially on the younger generations. Season two of the television series “The Purge” aired in mid-October, and since then there have been 10 mass shootings. This year has seen 45 school mass shootings total. Ten happening in scarcely one month, while the remaining 35 happened over the course of 10 and a half months. Numbers do not lie. There is a connection between media and violence.
Given the exposure that the younger generations nowadays have to mass media and streaming services, maybe parents should become better aware of these issues and enforce strict restrictions on what their child can or cannot watch online. At the power of a single click of our finger tips, basically anything is possible in this day and age. Parents must acknowledge this, rather than setting the wrong example or being passive for the younger generations.
Although mass media is to blame for those side effects, it is not the only circumstance that may factor into inhumane behaviors such as mass shootings. Politics, too, play a huge role in influencing potential mass shooters. As of Nov. 17, the 321st day of this calendar year, there had been 369 mass shootings recorded per the Gun Violence Archive (GVA).
While President Trump alludes to mental illness as a potential cause of such horrendous acts, there are those who believe that many of these could be a result of politics and stereotyping immigrants pertaining to certain regions or countries, especially those in Mexico and South America.
When are people going to realize that carrying a gun just anywhere is a public safety threat? The Second Amendment should not be an excuse to just carry a firearm anywhere. While the Second Amendment came to be during a delicate time historically speaking, it does seem quite outdated. Despite an ongoing impeachment inquiry into Trump, the use of bullets is not acceptable on either side of the spectrum and should be condemned by all means.
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