On 14 February 2018, Nikolas Cruz fatally shot seventeen people and injured 14 more at Marjory Stoneman Douglas Highschool in Parkland, Florida.
This school shooting was the 18th to occur in America in 2018. This is 18th incident in the last 45 days, averaging about one school shooting every three days. The response to this particular shooting however, has been somewhat different to previous cases, with students standing up and speaking out about their experiences and several rallies already organised, opposing existing gun laws in the United States. Current laws regarding gun usage, some dating back to the Second Amendment written in 1791, deem that almost anyone over the age of 18 can buy and own a gun, and although specific laws vary from state to state and restrictions do apply, Americans have a constitutional right to bear arms. However, gun violence and mass shootings in particular spark controversy, and opposition to these laws is increasing day by day.
When talking about gun laws, it is often useful to view other countries’ gun laws, especially ones recently changed in wake of a shooting similar to that in Florida earlier this month. A pivotal moment for Great Britain’s gun laws was the Dunblane Massacre on 13 March 1996. Thomas Hamilton killed eighteen people- sixteen children, one teacher and then himself. Only one and a half years after this awful massacre, a ban on private ownership of all handguns in Great Britain was ordered, and many gun owners surrendered their firearms and ammunition in wake of the tragedy. The swift reaction of the government was widely praised as the country mourned the innocent victims of Dunblane. The ban did lead to a decline in gun deaths in the UK, and changed attitudes towards possessing a firearm. The UK now has incredibly strict gun laws- some of the strictest in the world- but has not suffered such a severe gun-related tragedy since.
Another country whose gun laws changed dramatically due to a mass shooting is Australia. The Port Arthur Massacre occurred on 28-29 April 1996 when Martin Bryant killed thirty-five people and injured a further twenty-four. In wake of the shooting, Australia changed licensing requirements, banned all automatic and semi-automatic firearms and destroyed more than 600,000 civilian-owned firearms. Similarly to cases in Great Britain, gun violence and fatalities in Australia have decreased since the altering of gun laws, an estimated two hundred lives saved each year thanks to the changes made after the massacre.
The radical changes made to these countries’ gun laws prove that restrictions on the ownership of firearms can have a positive impact. However, America’s gun culture is very different to that of the countries mentioned, and although similarities can be drawn between the US and other nations, what works for one country will not necessarily solve all problems in another. Therefore, while arguments made against gun legislation in America using examples like Great Britain and Australia are valid to a certain extent, major differences between the countries must be acknowledged and taken into account before the solution of mirroring actions taken in other countries affected by gun violence is proposed.
Reactions to the shooting have been mixed, many criticising Trump and the NRA. The National Rifle Association, or NRA, are “diligent protectors of the Second Amendment” (quoted from their website) and are against stricter gun control laws in the US, defending the ownership of firearms. Many influential companies have quickly cut ties with the NRA following the recent school shooting in Florida, including Delta, the United States’ largest airline. Trump, however, retains close ties with the National Rifle Association as he has done for several years, the NRA contributing thirty-one million dollars to Trump’s presidential campaign, and has been criticised for supporting the association which encourages gun ownership.
Trump’s comments on twitter and in conferences regarding the shooting have also been heavily criticised by many people including several survivors of the recent shooting in Florida. Many accused Trump of blaming the victims of the shooting for not preventing the tragedy, condemning his comment “neighbours and classmates knew he was a big problem”. Many people have interpreted this comment as Trump blaming the victims of the massacre for not helping to report Cruz for his behaviour prior to the shooting. Trump also criticised the FBI in a tweet for “spending too much time trying to prove Russian collusion with the Trump campaign”. This was also met with anger from members of the public. People criticised Trump for drawing attention away from the attack and murders, criticising his insensitivity as he drew focus onto his own campaign rather than offer his condolences to victims’ families.
The recent shooting in Florida was a tragedy, and there is no doubt that in the wake of the massacre, laws regarding gun safety and ownership will continue to be challenged. Countries like Great Britain and Australia, having experienced massacres similar to the Parkland Shooting, are great examples of how alterations to make gun laws stricter can impact a country positively, making it a safer environment in which to live. However, controversy over gun laws in the US is a topic which continues to divide politicians and civilians alike. What is for sure is that the US must do everything in its power to prevent a tragedy like the one which occurred in Florida earlier this month from ever happening again. Children should not have to walk into school fearing for their lives, and the need for something to change this is more urgent than ever.
