Enough is Enough

I am not “woke,” but my eyes are open enough to see that the United States must fix its laws and policies on gun control. Gun control laws should be applied to all...meaning the police as well. Police brutality IS gun violence. This year alone, seventeen school shootings have happened and we haven’t even made it halfway through the year.

Every day I fear of being shot down by police because of the color of my skin. I carry the fear that I could lose my life at any moment while simply trying to get an education. I send my deepest regards to the families of the countless victims who didn’t deserve to lose their life to gun violence.

School Shootings

On February 20, 2018, a seventh-grader planned a mass shooting with a semiautomatic rifle, but sadly ended his own life instead. On February 28, 2018, a teacher fired a gun on a high school campus after locking himself in a classroom. On March 7, 2018, a 17-year-old was killed by her classmate in an alleged shooting accident. On March 9, 2018, another student was caught with a gun after it accidentally fired in class. On March 13, 2018, a school resource officer’s gun went off inside his office on a middle school campus. On March 14, 2018, three students were injured when a teacher’s gun fired in class. On March 20, 2018, a high school student shot and killed one classmate and critically injured another.

Too many incidents have taken place and change is long overdue. Students across the nation decided to take charge on gun-safety movement with some help from existing groups. The students have attracted political attacks from advocates for gun rights. Although changing firearm policies may breach our second amendment to bear arms, the chances of people losing their lives will significantly reduce.

March for Our Lives was a student-led demonstration support of tighter gun control that took place on March 24, 2018 in Washington, D.C. These students wanted to show how they are worried about going to school. Getting an education should be one of the most safe things to do, but it has become one of the most dangerous things to do because of the lack of gun control.

Police Brutality

Police brutality is one of several forms of police misconduct which involves violence by people who are here to serve and protect us. The police has performed many unjust acts of gun violence toward many African Americans in recent years.

It’s crazy how saying black lives matter causes people to get upset, almost as if black lives don’t matter to them, which is the exact reasoning for black lives matter. When we say black lives matter, we aren’t saying it because we feel our lives are more important than any other form of life. We are saying it because we want our lives to be acknowledged and accepted. We are saying it to say that we are tired of our lives being thrown under the bus and others forgetting that we, as African Americans, are human too, and that we share the same emotions that everyone else has.

I’m not trying to bash the movement for gun control, but why is it that America puts more effort and support into the gun control movement and tossed the movement of black lives matter/police brutality to the side? It is sad to say that of all the riots that have occurred that we have not seen justice in the wrongdoing of the law enforcement, and when they are called out on the things that they have don’t they are forced to go on a paid leave. Why? Is it because all of the acts has been committed by Caucasians?

We must stand together for every cause that is against gun violence, whether it is a school shooting, police brutality or even mass shootings. Enough is enough. No more innocent lives should be taken because of gun violence. It’s time to push America into a brighter future.

#guncontrol