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By David E. Hubler
Contributor, In Homeland Security

Students and staff returned to Marjory Stoneham Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, briefly on Sunday. They were there for an orientation session to help them deal with the emotional aftermath of the mass shooting on their campus on Valentine’s Day.

A lone shooter killed 17 people (including 14 students) and wounded 33 people before he was captured and taken into custody.

The school will reopen Wednesday, precisely two weeks after the shooting.

Rising Support for Gun Laws

As parents, students and lawmakers search for answers to how the shooting might have been prevented, there is growing support for stricter gun laws.

A new CNN poll conducted by SSRS found that support for tougher gun laws is at its highest level since 1993. Almost two-thirds of respondents say “government and society can take action to prevent future mass shootings.” Just 27% oppose stricter laws.

Overall, 70% now say they back stricter gun laws. That’s up from 52% who called for tighter gun laws in an October 2017 poll, not long after the mass shooting in Las Vegas that killed 58 people.

‘Government at All Levels Let Us Down’

The horrific school shooting has also laid bare some troubling failures by law enforcement agencies, including the FBI.

“The more we learn about the missteps…It’s clear government at all levels let us down,” an editorial in the south Florida Sun Sentinel newspaper on Monday concluded. One armed officer on the scene failed to act and resigned. Two other officers are under investigation for their handling of the situation.

It seems that everyone from the White House to the Congress to the Florida state legislature has weighed in with solutions to gun violence and possible remedies.

They all have various opinions on the controversial issue of gun safety, especially regarding how to deal with assault weapons. On Monday, President Trump told a gathering of the nation’s governors, “I would have run into a school shooting even without a gun.”

Trump suggested that school teachers be trained to carry weapons in school to deter potential shooters. It’s an idea backed by the National Rifle Association (NRA), one of the President’s key support groups.  Many state governors and educators, however, disagree with that idea.

Trump also backed the idea of a more inclusive national gun registration system and a proposal to ban rifle sales to persons under 21. The NRA quickly rejected that idea. Since then, the President has been silent on the age issue.

Some Leaders Changing Their Stance on Gun Laws

Some long-time vocal defenders of the Second Amendment have eased their blanket opposition to new gun laws.

Florida Governor Rick Scott (R), an NRA member, “expressed newfound support for raising the age limit for gun sales, either nationwide or at the state level,” the Sun Sentinel noted.

Scott also promised to strengthen rules to keep weapons away from people with mental health problems or court injunctions against them for stalking or domestic violence, The New York Times reported.

Even First Lady Melania Trump weighed in on the controversy. She told the spouses of the nation’s governors at the White House on Monday that she is “heartened to see children across this country using their voices to speak out and try to create change. They are our future and they deserve a voice.”

Florida Republican Lawmakers Send Governor Package of Gun Law Proposals

Leading lawmakers in the Republican-controlled state legislature sent the governor a package of gun law proposals. They include arming teachers, making it easier to take someone into custody suspected of being mentally ill and having a three-day waiting period for most gun purchases.

Nationwide Protest Planned for March 24

Many of the survivors of the Parkland shooting and students from around the country are preparing for a nationwide protest on March 24 dubbed “March for our Lives.”

 

About the Author
David E. Hubler brings a variety of government, journalism and teaching experience to his position as a Quality Assurance Editor at American Military University. David’s professional background includes serving as a senior editor at CIA and the Voice of America. He has also been a managing editor for several business-to-business and business-to-government publishing companies. David has taught high school English in Connecticut and at Northern Virginia Community College. He has a master’s degree for Teachers of English from the University of New Hampshire and a B.A. in English from New York University. In March 2017, Rowman & Littlefield will publish the paperback edition of David’s latest book, “The Nats and the Grays, How Baseball in the Nation’s Capital Survived WWII and Changed the Game Forever.”