Why have American Lawmakers placed Politics and freedom of Guns over the Preservation of life?

 

It's a bright and early Wednesday. You get up and complete your daily hygiene task, You then go to your children’s room and wake them up. It is a school morning and you do not want to be late. You lay out their clothes and tell them to get up and wash up. You go downstairs to start breakfast. By the time you're finished you hear their small footsteps running down the stairs in a hurry. Everyone eats and it's off to start the workday. You wish your child a safe and productive day and drop them off at school. Throughout the day you send text messages to make sure they are okay and doing well and by 3:15 your children run out of the school building into your arms and you go home. This is reality for many parents. Send their children off to school and for them to return in the afternoon to tell you about their day. But what if we slightly change the scenario. You keep the morning routine the same. It is not until the drop off that the scene changes. Usually when you text your children throughout the day, they respond but today no response. With no reply you begin to worry. It is not until 12 o’clock when you receive a message from your children’s school saying there is an active shooter on campus. You rush out of work and drive to your children’s school. By the time you arrive police have blocked off the area, no one gets in or out. You stand there waiting and texting for hours. Only to hear the shooter has been arrested and see students finally being released. You wait frantically for your children only to find out that the shooter shot multiple people and your children were among the victims. 

This is the reality for too many parents living in the United States. America has placed the value of guns over the value of life. The right to buy and own a gun outweighs the Declaration of Independence's meaning of life set centuries ago. Those paying the price are children. Every month you hear about a school shooting taking place. Everyday on the news you see candle light visuals and heartbroken parents crying for stricter gun laws. Yet, the government fails to do anything about it. Politics stops any laws being passed and being enforced because republicans and democrats can not agree. Republicans say that democrats are robbing Americans of their rights and democrats state that republicans just want to keep control for votes. Arguing and fighting will not bring back that child’s life. These grown adults who have been elected into these positions are fighting over petty arguments while parents are burying their children. Instead of coming together and passing laws to end these senseless violence, lawmakers rather fight about which party is better. None of this matters because a lost life is a lost life. How many more parents have to lose their children before lawmakers realize guns are the problem? How many more tears must be shed for change to happen?

Why I find this topic so interesting is because of the generations of children that are dying for no reason. They are losing their lives while nine times out ten, the shooters still living theirs. How is it fair that someone must bury their child while the convicted is still alive and eating taxpayer dollars? Almost every month, you hear about a school shooting and how many innocent children died. It is unbearable to watch as parents, grandparents, and siblings have to tell the world of how awesome and amazing the student was. Their eyes are full of tears and some can not even speak. You’re practically watching someone’s whole world come apart on national television. So why is this topic interesting to me? Change is needed. I have seen the parents cry out again and again demanding stricter gun laws but it seems lawmakers have “bigger issues” to hash out. Topics like these deserve attention and coverage from local to national voices. Something has to be done and change has to happen right now and quickly before another family must bury their loved one. 

In order to support any further arguments and findings, I will need to research and collect various amounts of data and evidence to answer my question, “Why have American Lawmakers placed Politics and freedom of Guns over the Preservation of life?” Data that can be considered are surveys conducted and statistics taken after the tragic incidents. These data elements hold data from individuals impacted directly and indirectly. They also provide data from those who agree or disagree with having more/less gun laws. Another form of data collection would be from credible news outlets such as CNN and ABC World News. These news stations always have up-to-date news coverage and facts about these incidents. Another great data source would be interviews from the children’s families. Whether it be from press conferences or simply talking to the news media. They share information about the child and what they believe should change. Every child deserves to feel safe at school and return back to their families. Every family deserves to have their child come home.