(DailyChive.com) – Hundreds of students from Madison High School gathered on Friday and marched to the state Capitol, urging lawmakers to pass a ban on so-called “assault weapons.” Their demonstration followed a tragic shooting at Abundant Life Christian School on December 16, 2024, where a handgun was used.
The students carried banners and chanted slogans like “books, not bullets” and “graduations, not funerals.” They argued for stricter gun laws, including an assault weapons ban and enhanced background checks. Their message was loud and clear: something needs to change to make schools safer.
However, there’s an important detail that wasn’t part of their discussion. The 15-year-old shooter in the December attack didn’t use an assault weapon. In fact, the firearm wasn’t purchased at a store, meaning that stricter background checks wouldn’t have stopped the attack. These facts raise questions about whether the proposed measures would address the problem at hand.
One student, Z Bart, said she joined the march because gun violence had claimed members of her extended family. While she didn’t know the victims personally, she admitted the thought of such violence hitting closer to home was frightening. “I think of them and think that could be me one day,” she shared.
Wisconsin State Senator Kelda Roys, a Democrat, supported the students’ call for action. She pointed to other states that have passed stricter gun laws, such as background checks and red flag laws, claiming these measures have reduced firearm deaths and injuries. “We can do that here in Wisconsin, too,” she said.
Yet, the broader data complicates this picture. California, for example, has some of the strictest gun laws in the country, including a ban on assault weapons, a 10-day waiting period, and universal background checks. Despite these measures, California led the nation in active shooter incidents in both 2021 and 2023.
The students’ passion is clear, and their desire for safety is understandable. But it’s worth asking: are the solutions they propose aimed at the root causes of gun violence? Or are they symbolic measures that don’t fully address the complexities of the issue?
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