Introduction
The principle in the legislative philosophy and ethics the particular society adheres to has its benefits and drawbacks. In the United States (US) context, one of the harmful drawbacks is that schoolchildren have to live in constant fear of another school shooting. One recently occurred in Nashville in which six individuals, young ones and adults, died. This tragedy further proves that a more rigorous socio-political approach to gun laws is needed.
School Shootings Cause Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
It is obvious that school shooting is a traumatic experience for anyone who has been a victim of it or observed it. One can say that it is more damaging for young survivors, whose psyches are actively evolving. Survivors share, “little things trigger me that I wouldn’t think would trigger me” (Mazzei & Jordan, 2019, para. 3). Others say that “it is difficult, getting out of bed and going back to school every day” (Mazzei & Jordan, 2019, para. 16). Similar emotional responses come from survivors of the Nashville tragedy (Pengelly, 2023). Until the sale of guns is banned in the US, schools will continue to be a permanent psychological setting and PTSD-triggering environment for children.
Relaxed Gun Laws Correlate with School Shootings
Introducing a gun ban in America would be a long political process, and practical action is needed now. One of these could be advocating for stricter gun laws. Academics have found that more frequent school shootings are correlated with relaxed gun laws and a high rate of ownership (Reeping et al., 2019). Another efficient measure may be to limit the number of gun shops in cities and towns.
Conclusion
Once again, American society has become a victim of its adherence to Constitutional principles and irresponsibility towards gun laws and arms sales. Six innocent individuals paid with their lives for this and the psychobiological health of many others were forever scarred. The Nashville incident is yet another shocking awakening for the general public to start fighting for their children’s safety and the ban on gun sales.
References
Mazzei, P., & Jordan, M. (2019). ‘You can’t put it behind you’: School shootings leave long trail of trauma. The New York Times. Web.
Pengelly, M. (2023). Nashville school shooter carefully plotted attack that killed six, say police. The Guardian. Web.
Reeping, P. M., Cerdá, M., Kalesan, B., Wiebe, D. J., Galea, S., & Branas, C. C. (2019). State gun laws, gun ownership, and mass shootings in the US: Cross sectional time series. BMJ, 364(1542), 1-6. Web.