​Roughly twenty years ago, parents would never have imagined the horrors that happen in their children’s classrooms. All across the country, kids are dying, and no one bats an eye. In recent years, the number of school shootings and fatalities have drastically increased, with the leading year being 2024, with 229 shootings in academic-related locations. This includes elementary schools, middle schools, high schools, college campuses, and specialized learning centers. Unfortunately, 2025 has already had 109 gun-related incidents, and may fall close behind.​

In 2025 alone, there have already been 79 injuries and 25 fatalities. Since 2008, the United States has experienced 757 school shootings. That’s right—almost 800 schools have been affected, along with hundreds of thousands of people whose lives are forever changed. Even those not directly impacted—friends, family members, neighbors, and teachers—carry the weight of these tragedies. Entire communities are shattered by the act of one senseless individual.

That leads us to another question: Are unstable people getting the help they need and deserve? No one deserves to feel so misunderstood that the only option they see is to hurt others—and eventually, themselves. For someone to be able to walk into a school and harm innocent people, let alone children, they must be deeply unwell. Many of these incidents might have been prevented if those individuals had received the help they needed. I am in no way defending or excusing their actions, as they are deeply harmful to our society. I am simply asking a question—one that needs to be answered.

In times of chaos and confusion, it’s human nature to look for someone to lead, to console us, to tell us everything will be okay. This role has typically been filled by our government—but those days seem long gone. A study conducted in August 2025 shows that only 33% of Americans trust the government to do what’s right. That’s only about one-third of the population.

Gun violence is preventable. It rarely occurred in large settings a mere 30 years ago. The people in charge must take a stronger stance on gun control. The fact is, if mentally unstable individuals couldn’t access guns so easily, there would not be nearly as many shootings.

But what about the Second Amendment? Countless people make this argument—and it’s valid. However, the problem with the Second Amendment is that it’s outdated. Of course, it will never be completely abolished, as it is one of our constitutional rights, but stronger precautions should be put in place.

So far, President Trump has done little to protect American children. In fact, he’s done quite the opposite. Though he has claimed to be against gun violence, actions speak louder than words. His administration has undermined the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) and its ability to enforce gun laws. It also removed more than $800 million in grants that had been set aside for gun violence prevention.

Everyone in America has heard about the devastating and irreversible damage done at Sandy Hook Elementary School. Many people are still deeply affected by that tragedy. In May 2025, Trump and his team reportedly removed a memorial in the ATF building dedicated to gun violence victims. This included police officers killed on duty, the teachers and children of Sandy Hook, and many more. We may ask ourselves, Why would he do this?—and that’s a great question. This was a memorial for people, some as young as six years old, who were senselessly killed for no reason at all.

Clearly, Trump is trying to erase the past—to erase America’s dark history with firearms. Even though he and his administration may pretend it’s not happening, it’s impossible to erase the innocent lives that have been lost. America needs to take a stronger stance on gun control if we want our youth to survive another day. Those in power should be helping us, not hurting us.