The Importance Of School Shootings

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Marlene Nguepnang Karhliker World Literature 13 March 2014 School Shooting: The Right to Safety American schools are assumed to be a safe environment, that help to enrich and grow young minds; but the recent growth in mass school shootings prove this assumption wrong. In the event of a school shooting; the gunman walks into an academic building and fires at the schools’ students and staff. Shootings in American schools are a complex maze that even the government, has not yet been able to find the best and most stable resolution for. There is an unlimited number of questions and few if any answers; should gun buyers and owners go through more restrictions and background checks? Should families and mental illness patients get more financial help and support? Is there work to be done to improve American schools safety? The first reported school shooting took place in the late 1700s, students, teachers went through what was an ordinary school day, but it all changed when four lenape Indians entered the schoolhouse in Greencastle, PA (Epstein). The gunmen killed as many as 10 children and the school principal. At this time in history, school shootings were rare. now, school shootings have become more common, “There at least 24 recorded shootings in the 2012-13 school year...up to eight shootings from the 2011-12 year, and up a total of 12 in 2010-11 academic year” (Bidwell). This shows that shootings in schools are on the rise year after year, although they might not occur as often as we believe. Adam Lanza, Seung-hui Cho, Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold, all have one thing in common: they each took part in the three worst mass shooting in American history. Adam Lanza shot up an elementary school, Seung-hui Cho shot and killed 32 stu... ... middle of paper ... ...ser, Christine. "Virginia Tech Shooting Leaves 33 Dead." The New York Times. N.p., 16 Apr.2007. Web. 12 Feb. 2014 Lankford, Adam. "What Drives Suicidal Mass Killers." The New York Times. N.p., 17 Dec.2012. Web. 12 Feb. 2014. Mackay, Jenny. The Columbine School Shootings. Farmington Hills: Gale, Cengage Learning, 2010. Print. Robertz, j. Frank. "Deadly Dreams: What Motivates School Shootings? [Preview]." Scientific American. N.p., 30 Jul. 2007. Web. 10 Feb. 2014. Sutter, John D. "Columbine Massacre Changed School Security." CNN.com. N.p., 20 Apr. 2009. Web. 12 Feb. 2014. Szabo, Liz. "Newtown Shooting Prompts calls for Mental Health Reform." USA Today (2013):Web. 10 Feb. 2014 "Virginia Tech Shootings Fast Facts." CNN.com. N.p., 31 Oct. 2013. Web.19 Feb. 2014. Zakaria, Fareed. "The Real Tragedy of America's Gun Violence." CNN.com. N.p., 14 Dec. 2013. Web. 14 Feb. 2014.

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