On December 12, 2012, I was sitting on the bus with two of my friends going back home from school in sophomore year when I first heard about the Sandy Hook shooting. One of my friends vaguely told me that there had been a school shooting that day. In that moment, I didn't know much about what had happened and assumed it had meant one or two people had been shot by the police on school grounds. As I watched the news and learned about the age of the children, the number of victims, and other details of the atrocity, my mind went blank. Why would anyone do such a thing and how was it possible for the perpetrator to acquire these guns? Instead of receiving assurance from the leader of our country, I watched as President Obama cried on national television and pleaded to Congress for reform on gun laws. There was no way that Congress was going to sit back and not implement serious change regarding gun control. There would be justice for the 28 lives lost on that fateful day in December.
Six years later, the list of mass shootings has only increased to include the Las Vegas shooting, the Orlando nightclub shooting, Sutherland Springs church shooting and, now, the Parkland, Florida shooting. For all of the shootings besides the most recent one, my friends and I would watch our representatives send their "thoughts and prayers" instead of acting and providing productive results. We would argue with each other on social media on our opinions of the second amendment and angrily watch as members of Congress did the same. This time, I am out of the country and on the opposite side of the world where I am surrounded by students from almost every nation. This time, my discussions include topics like the gun laws and shooting statistics in other nations. While talking to a local Singaporean friend about the shooting, I learned that few to no Singaporeans own guns. Singapore has some of the toughest laws in the world regarding gun possession. All gun owners need licenses which can easily be denies by the licensing officers. Any illegal possession of guns and ammunition can result in harsh punishments including imprisonment and/or caning.
The world watches as American politicians fight with each other regarding gun law reforms that a majority of American citizens want and support. As an American abroad, my frustration regarding my country's inability to act in a productive direction has only been increasing. I have little to say to my Singaporean and exchange friends who understandably see a simple solution to a "complicated political" topic. It's hard to explain how many politicians are taking an unwavering stance on a pressing topic due to the funds they are receiving from gun rights advocating organizations like the National Rifle Association. It is even more difficult to describe the firm attitude about an amendment that was implemented for a different time and age over 200 years ago. As a global power and leader in international affairs, it is a shame that the United States is toiling to resolve its own civil unrest. While there has been much to be ashamed of as a nation, I am proud of the students who have decided to finally take matters into their own hands regarding gun control. I am proud that more and more Americans are standing behind gun reform and are willing to transform words into actions. I am proud that thousands of citizens marched on March 24th, 2018 and are forcing Congress to pay attention to their demands. While I was not able to join the March for Our Lives in person, I am glad that we are making strides in gun reform and look forward to hearing about changes in gun control laws. Never should a student feel unsafe walking in a place of education and enrichment. Never should any more innocent lives be lost to gun violence. Never Again.