On a dark note, April could be notoriously known as the month of gun violence and school violence. In this month, there are two dark anniversaries. Both of them are related to guns and school violence. Yesterday was April 16, the second year anniversary of the Virginia Tech Massacre. It was two shooting incidents about two hours apart. Thirty-three people, including the shooter, had died.
South Korean student Cho Seung-hui had killed thirty-two people. So far, this event had made waves across the nation. Since Cho was revealed to be South Korean, it had alarmed the South Korean government. It also opened the doors to the debate between gun rights and preventing gun violence. On top of that, it examined the United States mental health system.
On the same day of the VT Massacre, defense attorney and conservative Christian activist Jack Thompson went on FOX News and started blaming video games. Thompson was recently disbarred in 2008 by the Florida Supreme Court. It was revealed that after the VT Massacre had taken place, Thompson sent a letter to Bill Gates, founder of Microsoft which created the Xbox, blaming him for VT.
Thompson has been known for his crusade against the video game industry. It all stemmed from the Heath High School shooting in 1999. There is a Wikipedia entry on Jack Thompson.
Yesterday in memory of the thirty-two victims, Virginia Tech has the 3.2 mile race. The “3.2” would signify the 32 people that were killed. As the anniversary came, students at the University of Texas walked out on the UT campus. In Texas, there is a controversial bill that could possibly be passed. It would allow concealed firearms to be allowed on public campuses. However, private colleges and universities could opt out of it. This controversial bill does not fare well with most of the UT student body.
So far, there is a high chance this debate could spread to other parts of the nation. In Washington D.C. it is the issue with voting rights vs. gun rights. The gun rights issue has derailed full representation in the US House for Washington D.C.
On Monday, April 20, it will mark the tenth anniversary of another incident: The Columbine Massacre. That heinous event took place ten years ago in 1999. It had sent waves throughout the nation. Thirteen people, excluding the gunmen, were killed. It as considered the most devastating school shooting. In 2007, it would be trumped by the VT Massacre.
Despite that, the Columbine Massacre still has a major historical, emotional, and psychological effect. In the article on British news company called “Mirror,” one of the Columbine survivors gives his story. On the article, there is a picture capture of the video that showed the survivor crawling out from one of the windows.
The survivor was Patrick Ireland. He was seventeen at the time. Police managed to drag him to safety. Ireland was in critical condition. But, he survived. Despite all what has happened back in 1999, Ireland still remains hopeful.
On Monday, Dawn Townsend, a mother one of the victims, Lauren, will address a memorial service. Since then, Dawn travels across the country as a public speaker.
Anne Marie Hochhalter, another Columbine survivor, gives an interview with U.S. News. During the shooting, Hochhalter too got critically injured. Overall, the Columbine Massacre in 1999 still has the effect. Still, the survivors and others are finding the power to move on.
In an article on AZCentral.com, Andrew Robinson, another survivor, wrote and directed the film called “April Showers.” It is a biographical drama of the event.
In an article on Salon.com, answers to questions are still being sought out. One question is asked: Who or what is to blame for the violence let alone school violence. In this article, one part points out on conservatives placing the blame on video games. It points that many of the questions needing to be asked are not so simple. At the same time, many of the answers to those questions are not simple either.
On the anniversaries of these school shootings, this could potentially open the doors fully on gun rights. For the longest time, it has been one of the most sensitive subjects. This is something that affects Democrat, Republican, independent, conservative, and liberal.
In a sense, this is the month in which gun violence and gun rights could clash with each other. So far, that seems to be the case with Texas. In Washington D.C., it is the issue between voting rights vs. gun rights. April is a month where two anniversaries of devastating events take place.
There does bring one question out of curiosity. It is probably not going to happen. But, this is completely hypothetical. The hypothetical question is: in regards to gun rights, gun violence, and D.C. voting rights, what would happen if the survivors of Columbine and VT, those that have also been affected, the students of UT and proponents of D.C. voting rights sat together and talked and so forth?
While the issues of D.C. voting rights and those two school shootings are completely different, they are linked by the one issue: gun violence and gun rights.
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