From 2009 to 2018, according to Everytown Research, the U.S. led the world by a margin of 277 in mass shootings. In fact, we account for over 75 percent of these horrific incidents. All of this adds up to say that, over the last two decades, mass shootings are primarily an American problem. In fact, gun violence is such an epidemic in this country that firearms kill more people in America a year than car crashes, according to the CDC in 2021.

America, like the majority of other developed nations, guarantees citizens’ right to own a firearm, thanks to the 2nd Amendment in its Constitution. Yet, unlike other developed nations, it experiences an unfathomable amount of gun violence. Amidst the recent shootings in Buffalo, Uvalde, and Tulsa, our country has been sent reeling into a nationwide debate over gun control, a debate that we seem to have every time one of these disasters takes place. Unfortunately, we have not learned our lesson, as gun violence is still a highly divisive issue between Republicans and Democrats. Rather than being treated as a public health issue, we’re treating these shootings as a partisan issue, as if kids’ lives are objects to be traded for political capital. During COVID-19, we failed to take sufficient action as a result of political division. Unlike how we reacted to COVID-19, we must trust actual research and take the appropriate measures to stop this firearm epidemic.

If gun violence goes unaddressed, like COVID-19, it will end in disaster. We must implement common sense and evidence-supported gun regulations like background checks for private gun sales, red flag laws to stop potentially violent citizens from obtaining firearms, mandatory waiting periods which help people cool down before they actually get their hands on a weapon that they might’ve purchased in a fit of rage, assault weapon bans, and stricter age restrictions for obtaining these weapons. We also need to muster up more support for people struggling with mental health, especially if they reside in areas that lack sufficient gun control.

Some prominent Republicans claim to believe, in between receiving boatloads of money from the National Rifle Association, that if we arm the “good guys,” they will be able to stop armed assailants before they can kill anyone. Past events do not support the “good guys with guns” argument. As was seen in Uvalde, police officers — believed to be the good guys — delayed their entry into the building in fear of being killed by the assailant, which probably led to more deaths inside of the school. The idea that a teacher with a gun could’ve done anything more is preposterous. As long as this country allows potential shooters to get their hands on assault weapons, the simple handgun that a teacher would carry would not be fast enough to prevent the carnage that the Uvalde shooter wrought.

PHS has tried to show support for gun control through moments of silence in class, educational Instagram graphics, and in-class discussions. Unfortunately, it’s all too easy to become numb to the sheer number of shootings that occur in our country — NPR reports that there have been over 246 mass shootings this year so far. New Jersey, due to having one of the lowest per-capita rates of gun fatalities in the country, can easily become a bystander in the gun violence epidemic. According to the New Jersey Monitor in 2022, 83 percent of guns used for crime come from out of state, generally with looser gun restrictions. By numbing ourselves to the violence and not advocating for gun restrictions in other areas, New Jersey is a part of the problem.

Princeton, seen as a relatively peaceful town, is not free from violence either. Take the Panera incident several years ago, where a man carried a weapon into Panera, and was shot by our Princeton police. Princeton Public Schools have also received numerous bomb threats throughout the past few years. Violence can happen anywhere, anytime. The brutal truth is that unless we take action against gun violence, the next shooting could occur in Princeton.

In order to stop the gun violence epidemic, PHS students can join national nonprofit organizations such as Everytown, The Brady Campaign, or Newtown Action Alliance. PHS students could also petition federal legislators or organize community-wide protests. On June 11, Princetonians participated in a nationwide protest, holding a gun control rally at Hinds Plaza. But our community’s participation in this movement must not end here. Now is the time to use our voices to stop this massacre, by staging school walkouts, attending protests, or writing our local congressperson. It is not the time for yet another moment of silence. Only by standing up and demanding change can we take the first steps towards stopping these horrific shootings.