A single moment can alter the entire trajectory of one’s life. A swift bullet that flies through the air towards a target is a human’s kryptonite, leaving stains of blood. Time proceeds to tick by, passing over the devastating moments that alter children’s safety. American ideals claim to be filled with freedom, home of the brave and the pursuit of happiness, but these constitutional documents that we use as our foundation are breaking apart with each bullet.
According to the Sandy Hook Promise, each day 12 children die from gun violence in America. Another 32 are shot and injured. Guns are the leading cause of death in America, but there is nothing truly being done to stop this widespread epidemic. This brings forth the question of how many children have to die for laws to be passed for the regulation of guns.
While America is proud of the freedoms and liberties granted to citizens, there has to be a line drawn to not only protect our liberties but also protect our mortality. Sandy Hook Promise also reports that 4.6 million American children live in a home where at least one gun is kept loaded and unlocked. From a different perspective, we wouldn’t need to protect ourselves from gun violence if nobody had a gun to begin with. However, this is a complex issue, as some people would not feel safe without their firearms, which makes this a difficult situation.
For many high school students, there is a thought of “It wouldn’t happen to me.” However, every student is susceptible to gun violence. On April 17, 2025, 20-year-old Florida State University (FSU) student Phoenix Ikner leaves a trail of bodies in his path, with two dead.
Americans are so desensitized to school shootings that this violence has become normalized and is seen as just another headline. Viral video released after the FSU shooting seems to show a person sipping Starbucks coffee while recording wounded victims nonchalantly is proof of what is wrong with American society today. These victims have names and stories. However, their humanity and individuality are often lost in the long list of mass murders and violence.
Law enforcement needs to sustain a plan of action for each school, whether that be metal detectors for the protection of children’s safety or stricter restrictions on gun licenses. In Texas, you can be 18 years old to apply for a License to Carry. To purchase a gun, you must be 21. Texas law allows for private sales of handguns to those 18 years or older. At such a young age, we allow inexperienced citizens the right to kill. Before someone’s frontal lobe is developed and fully developed as a human, they can possess a firearm. These rules in place need to be stricter not only for future children, but to avenge the ones who were already lost.
Back to our four walls, as Bridgeland students, we are unaware of the shootings that seem to get closer with each shooting. The suburban neighborhoods, fancy fountains and lakes at each turn indicate that “we’re safe.” However, Jake Mason died in a shooting near Cypress Lakes High School on December 19, 2023. It doesn’t matter if you live in a nicer neighborhood; everyone should be prepared for shootings.
We cannot allow a continuation of gun violence to be America. Gun control is a terrifying topic which no one wants to even think about, but students, teachers and administrators need to remember shootings are real, and they will not stop for anyone.
