This word means so many things to some, the strength to walk up to your crush, the power to admit your feelings to another, the will to stand up to a bully, and the means to admit when you need help.
But the courage I am talking about today, is the courage to stand up for what you believe in. Many politicians and people in public eye, including Tomi Lahren, are defending the right to have guns and even have military issued assault automatic weapons just because you want one. The courage it took for some of those teachers and students to give their lives for others. The courage it took to hide in closets for hours while waiting to find out if it was safe to come out. To be quiet while a killer lurked for more victims.
But it didn’t end there, many of the teens from Stoneman Douglas High School are not letting their friends and teachers die in vain. They are standing up against those defending gun rights. On social media they are standing up to Tomi, who’s comments are already controversial. And I stand with them in their courage. Prayers and love will not stop the gun violence in our country. We need stricter gun laws, tougher consequences and the means to help these people before it gets to this.
The FBI was warned about this kid (he is only 19, he is still a kid), months before this happened, but as many in the congressional field would say, he didn’t do anything yet, so what could they do? Plenty. There are 17 people who are no longer here on this world because they were waiting on him to do something, and now he is pleading guilty to avoid the death penalty. That is the only thing I agree with. He shouldn’t be able to just die, he should have to live with what he did. Everyday. He should be surrounded by the faces of those he murdered. Hear stories of them, read only books that are about their lives. He should have to face the reality of what he did EVERYDAY!
The survivors will forever be scarred. They were at school, a place they should’ve been safe, and was tortured. Not only did they have to hear the screams and bullets flying, but they had to step over bodies lining the halls as they left out the building. Courage is going back into that building, courage is finishing life after experiencing a traumatic encounter.
Courage is voting those who have the NRA in their back pocket out of office. I don’t think that gun violence is taken serious. I do have to ask though, the NRA is stepping up to defend gun rights on this, but where were they when Philando Castile was murdered for being a registered gun owner? Hmm… makes you think huh?
There has been 18 school shootings, oh wait, today 19, because the next day there was another shooting at a college in Washington State. Its only February! There is a problem. We need to protect our children and stop protecting guns. We need to find away first to get the illegal guns off the streets, make a thorough check before someone is allowed to purchase a gun, and police and FBI need to start taking threats seriously. They make you go to a class if you have a DUI, or if you have a drinking problem, they have rehabs for that. They need to have something of the kind for possible shooters, to redirect them and find out whats really going on with them. Lets stop waiting for them to do something and have the courage to stop them before this happens again.
Tiffany M. Arnold 