School Shootings

[Updated on April 7th, 2018, to clarify a point at the end.]

We tend to look at a problem only once it becomes so obvious that it's impossible to ignore. Then we treat only the symptoms we directly saw, move on, and forget until it happens again.

Relating to shootings, especially ones done by teenagers, I think the issue isn't the shootings themselves. It's what drove these people to get to the point where they snapped. These are people who got so fed up with something that they couldn't take it anymore. There had to be signs leading up to it, and the question should be why those signs went unnoticed or otherwise not taken seriously, or why they felt the need to hide their feelings to the degree of making the signs unnoticeable.

I understand those feelings of unhinged hopelessness and/or rage, but mine manifested in suicidal behaviour, directed at myself instead of others. And mine didn't go completely ignored, despite my efforts to cover it up. I had people to support me.

Whether aimed inward or outward, it's not okay that those feelings in people are so ignored by so many. These people should be noticed BEFORE something like this happens, not after. People see things and don't speak up all the time, or take any action.

That needs to stop. We need to ask ourselves why we're just glazing past behaviour we feel too uncomfortable to acknowledge. If you believe that you're a person who cares, what can you do to show that to people who need someone to care?

I care. I'm spread a bit thin because of the amount of emotional support I'm giving students lately, but I will always try to be there. If I see a student in my school who seems distressed, I ask if they're okay. I reach out to them. When they tell me their problems, I don't judge whether what they're saying is right or wrong, I listen to them. I lend an open ear. I give advice upon request, but I do not thrust that advice on them, I give them a chance to ask for it.

I'm doing this, but I also recognize this is not enough. I am one person, and I'm only helping my students and my friends. I have to ask myself what I can continue to do to help others, and how I can expand this. If you're reading this, please try to ask yourself these questions. What can you do to help? How can you incorporate a little bit of help for others into your life?

-----

I am not, by any means, saying that gun control isn't a solution to help prevent the shootings. I am merely saying that this is also an issue that should be addressed, in addition to the gun control. 

People who say that guns don't kill people, people kill people, fail to recognize that people kill people with guns. It's like saying toasters don't toast bread, people toast bread. But if there was no toaster involved, then the person could not as easily toast the bread.

The students of Parkland are incredible, and I fully support them and their movement. It's important for people to stand up and fight for their rights, because apathy is the destroyer of democracy. Nothing will be done to solve the problem if nobody points out the problem. And one of the biggest things we haven't ever tried in order to fix the shooting problem is proper gun control. Especially for those who are not part of "a well organized militia."