Speech RD

            The recent shooting in Connecticut has paved way to an important debate in our country. Many believe that gun laws will prevent school shootings, but I digress. I believe there are several things in our country that lead up to this tragic occurrence of mass deaths. I am here to persuade you that in order for these shootings to cease, we must work to implement stronger gun laws, more readily available mental help, and less sensationalist media coverage on these tragic events.

            The second amendment was implemented during the drafting of the constitution. At this time, guns were much less harmful. Now they have the ability to kill 27 people in a matter of seconds. This is why the gun laws need amending. There is no need for citizens to carry guns. Japan in 2006 had only two homicides by gun. Their strict laws for handguns made this happen. In the US there are more than 10,000.

            Look at columbine. Look at the batman shooting. All of the killers here have been known to have emotional issues. We need mental facilities to be available for these people. In order to do this we must dig back up the efforts we put into mental help in years before. It has become a dead topic, but it cannot be any longer. If mental help were affordable and ready for people who need it, they would get the help they deserve.

            Media plays a large role in our every day life. We turn on the news to find out what is happening, and we hardly ever doubt what it feeds us. Media uses this and tries to attract viewers by feeding whatever will give it the most sensational and appalling feedback. With mass murders and shootings, they quickly try to dig up and report exactly who did this and what they look like. They report statistics ranking the shooting, and make it like it is a sort of game. Mentally ill people look at this as an opportunity. It gives them the chance to one-up the shooter before, and many people want to go out with a bang. This is why they come up with more and more elaborate and shocking schemes to kill people. If the media didn’t blow this up, didn’t show pictures of the killers, and even went as far as to not release the name, the murderers would have no incentive to go out and do this—so long as they are looking to attract attention.

            Shootings are becoming an epidimic. With over 5 mass shootings this year, it is something that we need to fix. In order to do this, we must implement measures with gun laws, mental facilities and media coverage. I ask you to please contact your local representative and tell them how you feel about the second amendment, and if you want to help even more—think about this most recent shooting. How many victim’s names do you remember? Probably none. But do you remember the shooter’s name? Most likely. I ask you to forget the shooter’s name. Never mention it again. And look up the unsung heroes of this tragedy and spread the word of a victim, rather than a killer.