While it may seem redundant at this point, it must be said again that America has a reckless gun culture, one that prioritizes the personal beliefs of some politicians over the lives of students. There have been more than a dozen school shootings this year, and Republican states like Florida are trying to lower the age at which one can purchase a gun. Perhaps now, after yet another senseless killing, the GOP will add concrete gun laws to their thoughts and prayers.
Claims about American gun culture exaggerate a complex issue. Mass school shootings, though tragic, account for less than 1% of gun deaths, and blaming gun ownership ignores evidence: stricter laws in places like Chicago haven't curbed violence, and no causal link exists between gun ownership rates and school shootings. Targeted red flag laws, as Florida's success shows, address at-risk individuals without infringing on rights, offering a practical, data-driven path forward.