Recently, in the United States, there has been a significant increase in violence, specifically in gun shootings. At Benilde-St. Margaret’s, many are struggling with the recurring gun violence in their country, and many have admitted to no longer feeling completely at ease entering school or sending their loved ones to these supposed “safe” school buildings every day.
BSM Theology teacher Andretta Hansen talked about the effect that the increased violence has been having on her personally, as a teacher working at a school. She expressed how helpless and vulnerable she feels, not being able to control when or where it will happen next and whose lives it will affect. “It’s sad to say that as a parent and also as a teacher, I fear when [my children] leave the house,” Hansen said.
These recent events of violence have caused some to reconsider the ethics of gun policies. Some people have expressed that they are specifically concerned about the easy accessibility to guns because of gun laws within the United States. “I think that if we didn’t have easy access, we would have a significant decrease in all of the school shootings and gun violence that is going on,” Hansen said.
Over the past few years, there has been an increase in gun-related crimes. Many members of the BSM community have been sad and shocked, but also angered by the continuation of the current laws in the United States regarding gun accessibility. Without changing current gun laws, community members fear that the violence will continue to occur. “I really don’t think that a regular citizen needs to own a semi-automatic rifle. There’s no reason at all unless you’re a part of the military,” Hansen said.
However, changing gun laws is very controversial, especially with the argument that hunting, trap shooting, and other sports require access to guns. However, some people feel that those purposes are unnecessary and not worth the amount of injuries and pain that guns bring. In response to that belief, Hansen believes that, “If I’m a hunter, why would I need a high-powered rifle to go hunting for meat?” Hansen said.
Hansen explains how she notices that school shootings seem to have less of an emotional impact as they are increasingly becoming more common throughout the United States, based on reactions she has seen from students. “It’s just really sad to say that it’s become so normalized, and for students as well. Because it’s like, ‘Oh, it’s another school shooting, you know? Yeah, it’s just another day in America,’” Hansen said.
Many students feel these effects and have strong emotions concerning the ongoing violence in the United States. Peterson explains her perspective and is not shy about holding back her true stance on the situation. “If I’m gonna feel any emotion, it’s gonna be anger. Angry for our lawmakers, for the families who have lost their kids, for everyone who has been causing all this violence…just really angry, frustrated, upset, concerned, especially afraid. Not great emotions to be feeling in a school setting,” junior Sydney Peterson said.
When asked about how people feel that these situations could change, Peterson and others mentioned similar ideas. Contacting local representatives is a repeated idea in which people within the community can make their voices heard. A repeating pattern that is rising among students’ feelings is that they are being ignored. “Kids are dying. They’re dying in a school where they should be safe, and it’s because of these laws, and how unrestricted they are,” Peterson said.