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‘I just want to feel safe at (school)’

On February 14th, 2018 something that happened rocked this nation as a whole, but hit Florida more than ever. Nikolas Cruz entered Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School and began shooting at innocent people. In 6 minutes, he shot and killed 17 young adults.

On February 15th, 2018, I walked into my high school and had a panic attack. I thought the same thing was going to happen to us like it did to Florida.

I was scared because I thought one of my classmates would do the same thing that Nikolas did. Luckily, Warren has never expelled anyone to my knowledge or my peers’ knowledge. Everyone made jokes.

“It is Warren County, nothing will happen.”

Guess what, everyone, I am pretty sure Columbine High School, Virginia Tech, Newtown, and Marjory Stoneman Douglas all had the same thoughts.

This is a terrible thing that no one should have to go through. No one should have to go school panicked that something bad might happen in school, no parent should send their child to school worried that they might not return alive; no teacher should have to watch their lesson turn into a grieving circle. No one, and I mean no one, should feel this way in a public area.

Kids at school have been saying we do not need to get rid of guns because people kill people.

You are right, people kill people, but Cruz did not enter that school empty-handed. He used a military-styled weapon to hurt innocent people. Cruz abused his constitutional rights, and he is not the only one. It happens all the time to people; people get gunned down. It does not matter if you are a good person or a bad person, it still happens.

Schools across the country have practiced active shooter drills for days and even before the Florida attack happened. We even practiced one. My school held assemblies for the freshmen and sophomores on what to do if their was an active shooter. Did you notice I did not bring up the juniors or seniors? That is correct, they did not hold an assembly for the juniors and seniors because we had training in seventh grade and 10th grade (seniors). So, does that mean we do not get a refresher course because we had training two years ago?

I know I have to crouch in a back corner of my classroom and shut the lights out and barricade the door, but it is true, not everyone knows what to do in a situation like that. I wanted a refresher on what to do, my mind ran crazily after all of this happened. I do not know what scared everyone in school so much about this shooting. We have seen so many already in the news and in the past. Was it because one of their own did it? We will never know. It was just scary.

We had a lockdown (recently) in school. I know most classes actually practiced what they were suppose to, and others just sat in the corner and talked. My class went over the rules on what to do, and just by doing that made me feel a little safer. Let us not forget about the extra security we have had at school since February 14th — thank you Warren Police. During our drill, the fire alarm went off. I did not appreciate that at all, my anxiety was already bad just sitting through a fake drill, and then that alarm went off and I thought I was going to yell, run, cry, any of those.

I will not sugarcoat on how I felt about all of this. There were many times I cried. I cried because I was scared, I yelled at people for bringing the subject up. I even yelled at the people trying to make their situation smaller than it was. No one wants to be in that situation.

In my classes the past few weeks I have thought of so many ways on what to do if someone walked into the class I was in and started shooting. I have picked out hiding places, I have picked out safe places. It is a survivor’s mind my vice principal says. He is right. We are all just trying to survive in this world.

The state of Florida passed a gun law that stops people from buying guns until they are 21. I like the idea, it is smart. It took them long enough, trying to find teenage kids grieving on gun laws. If all of these fancy government people went through what any school shooting survivor went through, maybe they would finally understand what these kids are fighting for. The survivors do not just want justice for their dead friends, they are trying to protect kids like me.

A lot of people keep asking me why I care so much about the safety and about the shooting and why I freak out so much. They give me the “You are a senior” speech. Seniors died in Marjory Stoneman, seniors died at Columbine, seniors died the college shootings, a senior girl just died in an Alabama high school from an accidental school shooting. School shooters are not going to avoid you because you are a senior.

I cannot explain how many nights I have started sweating while having a nightmare of a shooting happening in my nightmares. I want things to change and, if this article is what I have to do to explain the importance of gun safety, then that is what I have to do.

So many American citizens will blame mass shootings on violent video games or mental health or bullying. The shooter from Newtown was influenced by video games. A majority of mass shooters are mentally ill and do not continue treatment, too many people are missing too many signs. Dylan Klebold was tricked by a girl going to prom and harassed. There are so many factors in a mass shooter’s reasoning in behind these malicious attacks.

My school safety has gotten a lot better in the last few weeks. Just seeing a police officer in school literally makes me at ease, seeing my teacher close a door behind her makes me a feel a little bit better. I just want to feel safe at a place of learning and I know I am not alone in this.

The Constitution of the United States of America states “A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep ands bear Arms, shall not be infringed; Amendment 2.” The second amendment has been abused one too many times.

It is time for a change in law.

Madison Streich is a senior at Warren Area High School and an aspiring journalist.

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