The Supreme Court's decision on gun control puts shame to every gun violence victim death

In this past year, our country has witnessed a mass shooting at an elementary school in Uvalde, Texas that killed 19 children and 2 teachers, and the overturning of New York State Rifle and Pistol Association v. Bruen which made it illegal to have a concealed gun without a license. Somehow, the two instances don’t equate and our country is divided on the issue. After the new court’s decision, I find it essential to discuss the controversial topic.

Following the mass school shooting at Rob Elementary in Uvalde, I was devastated to hear how our country was suffering another significant tragedy. I am appalled that we were in the same exact spot we were 10 years ago. I was 11 years old, in an elementary school only five miles away from Sandy Hook Elementary School on December 14th, 2012. I knew people who were trapped in the school as a gunman murdered their classmates. I saw the parents cry at the church services, the 26 hearses pass down Main Street and the shell shock as the town had to process this tragedy. We pushed for stricter gun control and created the Sandy Hook Promise to ensure that this would never happen again.

The overturning of New York State Rifle and Pistol Association v. Bruen makes Sandy Hook, Uvalde, Parkland, Virginia Tech and Columbine easier to happen again. We have failed as humans. This overturning puts every person at risk. If a license isn’t required to carry a concealed weapon, then what is stopping anyone with mal intentions to obtain a gun and open fire at the next person who angers them? We have gone backward. We have disappointed every victim of gun violence, alive and dead. We cannot let those who have died, die in vain. We must fight to change the laws, change the narrative, and change the stigma surrounding gun control.