Gun Control and School ShootingsEdeline Cangas Miami Dade College?AbstractThis paper addresses the issue of increased school shootings and recommends some ways that they can be minimized. Supporters of gun control affirm that introducing stricter gun control laws and regulations would see an end to gun violence in schools, a perspective that challengers strongly disapprove. The latter believe that improving security in schools would be the best solution. This script will defend the perspective of the opponents of since gun control does not prevent criminals from obtaining guns and a majority of the tragedies lacked security. ?Gun Control and School ShootingsThe number of school shootings has increased to a significant extent in the recent past, attracting the attention of not only the social media but also the general public. Parents, teachers, and students feel that school environments are not safe anymore for proper learning. They fear for their lives since an attack can occur at any time.

A primary question that arises from this situation is what measures should be implemented to stop or at least reduce the prevalence of school shootings. There have been differing views from supporters and opponents of gun control. The former believe that the increasing cases of school shootings are because of gun ownership, and thus, introducing gun control laws would lower the number significantly (Schildkraut, 2018).

However, this argument being a bit vague since possession of firearms is not the primary cause of gun violence in schools. While gun control can be effective to some extent, ensuring ample security in schools appears to be a better choice since gun laws do not prevent criminals from obtaining firearms, the majority of shootings can be linked to lack of security, and most shooters have mental health problems. The proponents of gun control contend that stricter gun control would be the best way to prevent school shootings. This idea sounds noble in theory, but it is not practical being that gun restrictions or banning them requires many laws and bills that must be passed, which the state of the US is currently divided (on the matter), this could take years.

The US Congress dominated by the Republican Party, which are vital endorsers of many gun lobbyists. (Gambino, 2018). Does one certainly reason that a political party who are receiving millions from gun manufactures will restrict guns to protect students from mass shootings? For instance, following the school massacre in Parkland, FL, a student lead group organized a demonstration known as March for Our Lives, rallied for tighter gun control. This nationwide protest involved millions of people demanding change from Congress. Yet, since the Parkland school massacre there has been over fifteen more school shootings. (Ahmed & Walker, 2018). Therefore, with laws being stagnant, school shootings are still on the rise. In addition, proponents believe that gun rights have made it possible for firearms to be accessible to people who do not have proper skills to deploy them.

For this reason, introducing gun control laws would reduce accessibility and improper use of firearms (Street, 2016). They further propose that guns should strictly be banned in learning institutions (Schildkraut, 2018). It denotes that even individuals with licensed guns should never carry them when going to any school. Supporters believe that the implementation of the above measures will minimize the occurrence of gun violence in schools. Nevertheless, critics of gun control argue that banning possession of guns may not be the most effective way of ceasing school shootings. A superior solution would be improving security in schools.

One factor that validates why adequate security measures placed in schools that would be more effective than gun control laws is that laws does not prevent criminals from obtaining firearms. Gun regulations only influence law-abiding citizens. They hardly prevent criminals from assuming their missions since they do not obtain firearms from gun stores, gun shows, or any other source that may make it possible for law enforcers to trace them. They obtain weapons from trusted sources, principally, family and colleagues. According to the Washington Post, “Since 1999, children have committed at least 145 school shootings. Among the 105 cases in which the weapon’s source was identified, 80 percent were taken from the child’s home or those of relatives or friends.

” (John Woodrow Cox & Steven Rich, 2018). This further demonstrates that that firearm are It is important to consider that people who carry out these school shootings are obtaining these guns illegally, thus one can notice that gun control laws and regulations would have little influence on the prevalence of school shootings. Consequently, it is essential to improve security at the school level so that even individuals who can retrieve firearms unlawfully can be identified before they perpetrate crime. Another reason to back the necessity for ample security in schools is that a majority of school shootings lacked security. For instance, the absence of tight security at school entrances makes it possible for criminals to enter the school and commit offenses.

If there were proper security measures, the misfortunes at Virginia Tech and Columbine High School could not have happened (Jonson, 2017). In the former college, “a senior carrying two handguns shot and killed two students in a dormitory before walking across campus to a classroom building and murdering 30 more students and five professors” (Jonson, 2017, p. 956). In the latter, “two high school seniors, dressed in black trench coats and armed with handguns, a rifle, shotguns, knives, and multiple propane pipe bombs killed 12 students and one teacher while injuring many more” (Jonson, 2017, p. 956). Therefore, it would be imperative to establish and execute proper security measures that will allow for the identification of suspicious components such as guns and bombs at entry points.The idea that most individuals who participate in school shootings have mental problems also supports why schools should emphasize security rather than wait for the state to amend or introduce new gun laws as they have little to no influence on gun violence. Some students resort to crime to revenge for harms that they may have undergone in the hands of bullies.

Others may consider it due to lack of necessary social support from parents or the loss of a loved one. These events demonstrate that a significant number of students who involve in criminal activities are stressed, and some may be depressed. Accordingly, it would be wise to identify students with problematic behaviors, including disassociation and being aggressive, and request them to attend guidance and counseling sessions.There are various security measures that schools can consider reducing gun violence. A major initiative would be installing metal detectors at the entrance points to identify weapons, for instance, firearms and knives (Jonson, 2017). Another measure would be hiring (trained) armed security officers, as their presence in a school can be valuable in deterring violence (Jonson, 2017).

Furthermore, they would respond quickly to a crisis, reducing the number of casualties. Setting up surveillance cameras in schools would also assist in spotting criminals before they cause harm (Jonson, 2017). For instance, some may attempt to enter school premises over the fence. Through CCTV, it will be easy to identify them. As the above measures may not be a hundred percent effective, which implies that criminals may find their way to school grounds despite their presence, people should be trained how they should respond in tragic situations (Jonson, 2017). For example, they should be informed of the existence of alarms that they can sound for the security personnel to know that there is a danger. In this way, there will be minimal school shootings, which will reduce fear among students and enable them to take advantage of their time in school to develop effective skills. Overall, gun violence is a primary concern that needs immediate attention from the government and learning institutions.

Proponents of gun control suggest that stringent gun control laws and regulations should be introduced to lower school shootings. Unfortunately, in today’s climate By contrast, opponents believe gun control would not be an effective method since many individuals obtain guns illegally; most of the school shootings happen due to lack of proper security measures, and most shooters have mental problems. For these reasons, they claim that improving security would be the best to reduce gun violence in schools. Some methods that can be considered in this effort are hiring (trained) armed officers, installing metal detectors, and instituting surveillance cameras. They will enable security personnel to identify suspicious people and prevent weapons from entering school grounds. ?