Persuasive Essay on School Shootings Must Be Prevented

Compared to other countries throughout the world, the United States of America is a safe and prosperous nation. However, a much more tragic side that has affected many Americans is school shootings. What is the most effective approach to prevent school shootings from happening in the first place? Jamie O'Meara's "Guns, Sex, and Education," Amanda Holpuch's "How School Shootings Became Part of the American Psyche," and Adam Gopnicks's "Shootings" are three writings that discuss how and why mass shootings happen. All three pieces show distinct approaches to dealing with this circumstance. The writers' realistic answers and emotive appeals contained in the essays have the ability to persuade the reader.

Limiting school shootings can be accomplished in a variety of ways. Some strategies work better than others. These authors would both agree that ". Making it more difficult to buy guns that kill people is, however, a rational way to reduce the number of people killed by guns." (3) Adam Gopnick. By tightening gun laws, individuals would have a much more difficult time obtaining such weaponry, which leads to a decrease in shootings. Americans are reluctant to change gun policies, but protesting in this manner can help like the "March for our Lives" protest where "Hundreds of thousands of people gathered at marches and walked out of class, including at Columbine high school, in March 2018 in support of stronger gun control measures." (15) Amanda Holpuch. Protests are a great way to educate and convince people about the need to tighten gun laws. Another solution brought up by Jamie Omeara in "Gun sex and education" is teaching students about guns just like you would in sex education class. This method is different from the others because it discusses the ability to educate. However, this method may also be harmful to gun violence because it teaches students how to use it properly. This may help strengthen the shooter's ability, which does no good. At the end of the day, "It's true that in renewing the expired ban on assault weapons, we can't guarantee that someone won't shoot people with a semi-automatic pistol." (8) Adam Gpnick. This solution may not work to the most whole extinct, but it is one of the realistic options available. Similarly, the emotional sides of these school shootings may help an individual change their mind about gun controls. 

Logical and emotional appeals can change an individual's look at particular topics. All three authors do an excellent job showcasing the emotional distress caused by school shootings and the logical appeals. "The cell phones in the pockets of the dead students were still ringing when we were told that it was wrong to ask why." (1) Adam Gopnick. A parent reading this could how it would be like if that student was their son or daughter. When being asked by a reporter, "Was there a part of him that thought school shootings wouldn't happen in his school, Curry answered with "a chilling calm: "No, there wasn't. It's been happening everywhere. I've always kind of felt like eventually it was going to happen here, too." (10) Amanda Holpuch. This statement demonstrates how common school shootings occur in America and how changes must occur immediately. Similarly, the authors are able to showcase the logical benefits of gun restrictions through various statistics provided. "In Dunblane, Scotland, in 1996, a gunman killed sixteen children and a teacher at their school. Afterward, the British gun laws, already restrictive, were tightened—it's now against the law for any private citizen in the United Kingdom to own the kinds of guns". (4) Adam Gopnick. This shows how fast other nations worldwide are willing to change gun policies after tragic events related to gun violence. After many tragic events caused by gun violence, the United States Of America has yet to alter any rules. "The right to live free from violence, discrimination and fear has been superseded by a sense of entitlement to own a practically unlimited array of deadly weapons." (13) Amanda Holpuch. This statement demonstrates that most American students live in fear of school shootings occurring at their schools even though the United States of America is a free and prosperous nation. This troubling problem makes individuals wonder how safe a country is if all of its citizens can carry a gun around at any time. These logical and emotional appeals have demonstrated that school shootings must be prevented for children to have a peaceful education. 

Each of the three essays takes a different strategy to deal with the situation. The essays' authors' realistic responses and emotive appeals have the power to persuade the reader by providing plausible solutions, logical and emotional appeals. By taking the proper steps, individuals can limit many school shootings.