Students Discuss News About Gun Violence in America

On February 14, 2018, 14 students and 3 teachers at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida were killed in one of the deadliest school shootings in world history. Students from around the world have been watching the news and joining the conversation, organizing walk-outs and marches to demand change in their own communities. Keeping up with the news is not just a passive activity; it influences students’ understanding of current events and can influence national opinion and policy.
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This week, we celebrate Ganessa from Florida, Shane, Marina, and Ty from New Jersey, and Victoria, Darnell, Sharon, and Naomi from Illinois as PenPals of the Week. They recently completed World News, where they discussed news stories pertaining to the environment, technology, war, government, and poverty with other PenPals from around the world. They shared statistics and opinions about the Parkland shooting, government responses, and how the tragedy has fostered a wider debate around gun ownership. ​

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Even though the “War and Conflict” lesson typically discusses international conflicts and civil wars, Victoria, Darnell, and Ty reflected on how American gun violence is getting just as much coverage lately.

“We're not even two full months into 2018, and there have already been at least eight school shootings in the US. February 14: Parkland, Florida. February 9: Nashville. February 5: Oxon Hill, Maryland. February 1: Los Angeles. January 31: Philadelphia. January 23: Benton, Kentucky. January 22: Italy, Texas. January 20: Winston Salem, North Carolina.”
- Victoria C. from Illinois

“This post is not about international war and conflict because we have not been talking about that this week in my current issues class. Lately we have been talking about the Florida shooting, gun control, and gun violence. There were over 15,500 people killed in the US in 2017. We're constantly focused on war and conflict in other countries when we have one in ours but nobody is doing anything to prevent it.”
- Darnell S. from Illinois

“There was a lockdown at Dumont High school just down the road from where I am from because a kid posed a threat to shoot up the school. The police went to the suspects house and actually found the supposed gun. The kid was later arrested and it's just scary to think about that this kid at only age 15 who made a threat could have actually followed through with it if he was not contained. This left many of the students of the school petrified especially after seeing what happened in Florida with the death of so many young kids.”
- Ty J. from New Jersey

The news is an important way to stay updated on the most pressing political issues. Sharon watched CNN’s Parkland town hall meeting and told her PenPals about how students in Parkland are interacting with government representatives.

“We watched the townhome meeting with the students and the parents and teachers from the school. They were asking the senator and congressmen how they could be reassured safety and to make sure that something like this never happens again, and why does the president and congress have so much security and protection, but the citizens that have a huge part in our government are only protected by dry wall.”
- Sharon P. from Illinois

Naomi and Marina focused on how President Trump’s response to the event has received much backlash and left many Americans even more concerned about the future.

“Seated between teenage survivors of the Florida school shooting, President Trump said during a White House listening session that arming teachers and posting gun-toting veterans in schools could deter or stop school shooters. He said that Aaron Feis, a teacher who was killed during the Florida massacre, could have saved his life and 16 others if he was armed. Most have opposed that claim. A poll shows that 66% of people oppose arming teachers.”
- Naomi M. from Illinois
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“Donald Trump has stated that he would give bonuses to staff members that would volunteer for weapons training. He also insisted that he would personally charge into a school to challenge a gunman. Many dislike the idea of letting staff members be armed, because there could be so many situations in which a students gets hold of a gun, or if a teacher accidentally shoots a student. By creating a law in which educators will be provided with weapons to avoid another heartbreaking situation is ignorant to me. I believe Trump administration should create gun laws stricter, so not any individual will get a weapon, unless their records are clean and they have a license to keep the firearm.”
- Marina S. from New Jersey

Ganessa and Shane believe states can still implement positive change even if reform is slow on the national level.

“Florida Senator, Marco Rubio has announced his plan to prevent school shootings, including the new idea of a gun restraining order. He wants to introduce a legislation, which is already in affect in California and Oregon, that can take a person’s rights to own a gun away. He is also trying to join a group of bipartisan senators in the filing of the “Lie and Try” bill, which would make the FBI notify states when a prohibited person tries to buy a gun and fails the background check, so the person can be investigated and prosecuted. In addition to his new policy, he is also working on strengthening school security. This is a step in the right direction for preventing school shootings. I support stricter gun controls and better security like metal detectors and armed security guards, but I do not support teachers having to carry guns in schools. Let the teachers do their jobs, and let the security guards and the police do theirs.”
- Shane K. from New Jersey

“The article I read talked about what states were doing to ensure that another violent and deadly shooting doesn't happen again. After the incident, several states took the initiative to establish policies and toughen gun laws. Florida, Rhode Island, Vermont, Oregon, Washington, Ohio, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, South Dakota, and Texas are a few of the states listed that are making improvements. Rhode Island Democrat Gina Raimondo was prompted to sign an executive order to establish a policy to take guns away from people who pose a danger to themselves or others. Raimonda believes that it is the state's job to prevent gun violence if the federal government won't act on the issue. Many of the measures to tackle gun violence were also influenced by students all over the world protesting against the stagnant nature of the government and Congress.
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I really wanted to share this story because I feel like gun violence is such a gigantic issue in our world and it affects so many us every day. I don't want this recent tragedy to fade away without striking a course for change. We have become too desensitized to things like this and we cannot accept it, we need to stand-up and fight for what we know is right. This story shows that when we work together, stay passionate, and resilient, even without the federal government's aid, we can make waves of positive change.”
- Ganessa D. from Florida

By studying the news with PenPals from around the world, students are able to think critically about current events that affect their community. PenPals share news stories with each other to examine the ways that pressing issues are reported around the world. World News teaches students the importance of reading the news, and the news stories that PenPals share with each other demonstrate what is most important and relevant to them at the moment.

Want your students to join in on big conversations around the world? Enroll your class in World News.

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