Debating gun laws
- Hailey Kroll
- Feb 12, 2021
- 2 min read
Reflecting on Parkland, students' opinions vary on gun control
Nearing three years since the shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida on Feb. 14, 2018, the debate over gun reform continues. Since the attack, advocacy for greater means of protection arose whether that be stricter gun laws or increasing the number of armed peoples in case of emergency.
The fatal shooting left lasting impacts on students, resulting in differing opinions on the matter. Syieda Williams ('21) reflects on the events, and expresses her stance on increased gun reform.
"I remember silence in my class. I remember some classmates saying that their friends or relatives went to that school. I felt confused. I feel as if there should be more control on gun laws. There should be background checks as well as psychological evaluations before owning a gun," Williams said.
Never Again MSD, the student-led committee that organized March for Our Lives works to increase attention to gun related issues, specifically to inspire younger generations to become involved. Students like Erik Hendrickson ('21) agree that they actively meet their goal of uplifting others to participate.
"I think it has opened the eyes of our generation to the bigger picture of the violence of this world and that change needs to be made in order to stop it," Hendrickson said.
On the other side stands students who believe the right way to protect citizens from shootings such as the one in Parkland is to increase the amount of guns. Blake Delaney ('23), for example, thinks school staff should be armed.
"After finding out about it, I thought schools should allow administrators or teachers to hold weapons to protect the students in case of something like this to happen again. I'm very two sided about this movement because I believe there is a way we can control guns, but taking them away all together is not the right move. If we were to do this, it would be putting our lives in danger because someone will get a gun somehow and then how would we defend ourselves," Delaney said.
There have been advancements on both sides of the argument. In March 2018, Florida passed the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School Public Safety Act that raised the minimum age for purchasing guns to 21, set waiting periods, and established the need for background checks. Then in Feb. 2019, the House of Representatives passed the universal background checks bill, which is deemed the most major federal gun legislation in over two decades by Refinery 29. However, in May 2019, Governor Ron Desantis signed a bill for the "armed guardian" program, allowing each Florida county to allow the arming of teachers. The increased interest in younger generations has re-sparked the debate on both sides of the argument with positives and negatives for each.
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