Gun violence within this nation is a critical and increasingly relevant issue, as more and more people are gaining access to firearms and other lethal weapons. People who should absolutely not be in possession of guns. People like children, criminals and the mentally ill. As a result, the death count will significantly rise, regardless of whether the shootings are accidental or on purpose. Furthermore, guns are often the source of mass violence, not only because of their unpleasantly intuitive design, but because of their abundance and availability in the United States. The media, too, plays a huge role in the equation, as its perception of gun violence seems to be heavily distorted. If we finally decide to make efforts to restrict gun usage, …show more content…
Around ninety-seven percent of children and teens aged twelve to seventeen have access to video games and play regularly (Newsela), since it is now a common pastime. However, more than half of the fifty best-selling games expose youths to violence and contain graphic content which many deem inappropriate. These games in particular have been blamed for many cases of school shootings, bullying and violence targeted towards women (Newsela). When children are subject to these acts through video game media, the line between game and reality becomes blurred, and they begin to pick up on the actions seen on-screen. For instance, the Columbine High School shooting is a prime example of violence fuelled by video game rage (Newsela). The media, regardless of whether it’s news, entertainment or video games, is extremely harmful to the minds of children and adults alike, and can, in the long run, lead to many more violent shootings and gun-caused …show more content…
Many children, criminals and mentally ill people are gaining access to these weapons, making them a danger to both themselves and others. For example, from the months of March and December, 2020, the death count due to unintentional shooting by children has risen thirty-one percent since 2019. In 2021 children have only continued to have easy access to firearms (Everytown Support Fund). Although being mainly the fault of the child, the parents are also to blame, in view of the fact that it is them who have unsafely stored guns within reach of children. Again, in West Bath, Maine, a two-year-old child unintentionally used an unsecured gun and shot his parents (Everytown Support Fund). The list goes on and on. Just recently, a six-year old “shot a teacher on Friday afternoon during an altercation in a classroom” (Albeck-Ripka, Medina) It is said that his teacher has been left with life threatening injuries, as she was shot through the hand and chest (BBC). Nowadays, it’s increasingly important to keep children away from dangerous items like guns for the sake of the safety of themselves and others around