Is Gun Violence The New Normal?
When it comes to campus life in the 21st century, many students across the world wide web seem fearful to attend school. With roughly 273 shootings in 2022 and a trend predicting around 400 shootings in 2023, many students have rallied against gun violence and have taken to social media to share their stories.
However, not all students are fearful of the lasting impacts of our current circumstances. Vassar student, Kayleigh Mason, states she does not find a cause for concern walking around her college campus, nestled deep within the Hudson Valley. “I don’t feel fearful of going to class, but I won’t go into the surrounding town when it’s dark outside unless I have a guy with me,” said Mason. Her hesitation is regarding the city of Poughkeepsie, as she recalls hearing gunshots from the streets every now and again. “Sometimes I hear gunshots or think that some loud sound is gunshots at night every month or so and that’s scary,” said Mason. “Again, that’s why I don’t like going outside of Vassar when it’s dark out. Not just because I’m a female.”
Mason is relatively positive regarding her college life; most of her concerns regard the younger generations. “There’s not as much news of shooters on school property here,” said Mason. “There’s a lesser chance of it being near me or the people I care about because there are so many buildings and places to hide. In a high school, everyone is trapped in one building. The probability of someone getting hurt is a lot higher.” She recalls running drills in high school. Growing up in Bedford, Massachusetts, their system entailed ALICE drills, which stands for Alert, Lockdown, Inform, Counter, and Evacuate.
“I remember ALICE as a distant memory,” said Mason. “For some of it, we would hide in a corner quietly and block the door when someone was nearby or running past the door (to simulate). We did it once or twice in high school.” When asked about what safety measures Vassar has in place for their students, she recalls the blue light system, alarms, texts, and email alerts if an incident were to occur. Overall, her primary concern for students today relies on Kindergarten through twelfth grade.
“To make K-12 schools safer, the policies on guns need to be more strict. Totally banning guns isn’t always the safest route, we still have the black market and the bad people have access to them, but teachers should not be equipped with guns. We need a happy medium.” Since 2020, Mason has become more positive regarding her school experience and isn’t willing to allow gun violence to tamper with her experience or mental health.
Throughout my interview process, mental health was not elaborated on as much as expected. However, given my conversation with Mason, it became evident that this lifestyle is simply what these K-12 and college students are used to. At this point, between social media and the news, gun violence incidents are no longer very surprising. This is, in itself, its own mental health concern for society and these young students growing up in the 21st Century. Noting the previous rate of school shootings, the rapid increase in gun violence is unlikely to slow down. With this knowledge, it is imperative that we remain vigilant as members of this society. We may be in a gun violence crisis now, but where will we find ourselves in ten years? Twenty? Will we find another mental health crisis?
