Written by Joseph Carrick
The shooting in Parkland, Florida was the seventh school shooting to occur in 2018, again sparking protests and another round of debates regarding America’s gun control policies.
The fact that America does not enforce seriously harsh restrictions on gun ownership is unquestionable, but whether or not America should emulate such laws is up for debate.
Hollywood celebrities voiced their concern for the seemingly growing popularity of mass murder among the mentally ill. Emma Stone, backed up by a plethora of other celebrities, launched an ad campaign to rouse support against the gun lobbyist group “NRA” and encouraged followers to text “REJECT” to 644-33, which would forward messages to local representatives.
The political right offered different solutions to the issue: require teachers to carry firearms, enable metal detectors in schools, etc. This idea was quickly rejected after the realization was made that Congress would then have to raise the education budget in order to properly execute those solutions.
Brad Pitt tried to explain the phenomenon by stating, “America is a country founded on guns. It’s in our DNA,” possibly referencing either the various militia groups or America’s background with wars and violence as a whole.
Jeremy Renner adds, “I own guns and want to keep it that way […] guns don’t kill people, people kill people.”
Either way, with the upcoming elections, it will not be surprising if gun control becomes an even hotter topic in debates.
