In the wake of the UNCC shooting, I began thinking. Why do we, as students, have to worry about dying while trying to get an education? Since the Virginia Tech shooting in 2007, as of 2018, 320 people have been shot on college campuses according to the Collegiate Times analysis. Only 26 of these shootings were mass shootings, the others were around other crimes or accidents. Fifty-three people were killed, and 95 people were wounded in those 26 shootings. As I was researching this, I thought “oh that’s really not that bad, only 26 of shootings since 2007 were considered mass shootings.” But the 26 isn’t 26 people, it’s 26 mass shootings on college campuses since 2007. The article with the statistics is from 2018. Since then, there have been 3 shootings on college campuses, including the UNCC shooting. People will say, “oh that’s not a lot” no, 3 is not a lot, but it’s too many for mass shootings on college campuses. There are even more in high schools across the U.S. that have suffered from mass shootings.
No matter what side you are on politically, we need to acknowledge that this is a problem. Students in high school and college should not have to worry about being shot while going to class. Students shouldn’t have to worry about how they would escape in every classroom that they go in, or what they would do to protect themselves. We should just have to worry about our education and school work.
Why does our mental health have to suffer because law makers can’t decide on how to solve this problem? (that a lot of other countries have solved already) Why do students from all over the U.S. have to suffer from anxiety and PTSD from the mass shootings they have experienced because our lawmakers are unable to protect America’s youth?
Why do children and teachers alike in elementary schools have to do active shooter drills yearly? Why do young children have to be afraid for their lives at such a young age? Why do these children have to grow up in fear and anxiety?
Why do we have to suffer because they failed?