On April 20, 1999, two teens shot and killed twelve students at Columbine High School. This event occurred before most current high schoolers were born. Our generation has grown up not knowing anything other than mass shootings in places from schools to concerts.

Since the 2012 shooting at Sandy Hook, there have been around 1,500 mass shootings nationally (defined by four or more fatalities).This shocking statistic has desensitized people to acts of violent gun crimes.

The amount and severity of mass shootings are not slowing. The most recent and most deadly happened at a country music festival in Las Vegas, Nevada, on October 1st, leaving 58 dead.

Whether the anxiety is conscious or subconscious, a majority of people hold a constant fear of the threat of being affected by gun violence. Checking the exits of a movie theater, the sickening feeling while in large crowds, the escalation of an angry argument into something fatal; these thoughts have most likely crossed everyone’s mind while in public. This domestic crisis does not discriminate, and that provides the most terrifying aspect about gun violence; it could happen to anyone.

As a society, we have adapted to these everyday dangers. For example, schools have extensive lockdown drills and new requirements for teachers to follow, such as covering their door windows with construction paper. Mass shootings have become a cultural norm, and the people of America remain in a seemingly unending stalemate on the topic.

How many more fatalities need to occur before this problem becomes a priority?

This discussion does not concern gun control. It focuses on illuminating a crisis that affects our country and our mentality. High school students must educate themselves and speak out with open minds on issues that directly affect our future. The only way to solve this pressing issue is compromise, and democracy is a system that thrives through compromise.