Law Professor Leila Sadat explains the significance of framing gun control as a human rights necessity.

Whether it be through the national school walkout on March 14, protests, contacting local representatives or awareness campaigns, we encourage our fellow class of 2022 members to join us in speaking out and taking action against the heinous gun violence plaguing our country.

While President Trump’s suggestions on gun control lack of specificity of the details of his ideas prevents them from either being legally applicable or practical.

One thing has changed after the Florida shooting. The victims’ message is clear and direct: We don’t need sympathy, we need action.

This is not an article in which I try to convince you about the merits of stricter gun laws.

But as Washington University students, we have the power to influence gun reform. And the Student Life editorial board believes it is our generation’s responsibility to work toward this end.

I’m from Connecticut—where the Newtown tragedy occurred—but mass shootings aren’t limited to my home state. Mass shootings don’t discriminate based upon geography and have occurred in Colorado, Oregon and countless other places. Victims of these atrocities aren’t remembered as fallen Republicans or Democrats; they’re victims of senseless violence.

What began as a routine campaign stop for St. Louis Mayor Francis Slay soon escalated into a heated debate in which students expressed concern about the local politician and some of his administration’s recent controversial actions.

My first firearm was a Daisy Red Ryder 1938 BB gun, complete with child-sized safety goggles and a giant tin of BBs. I remember the precise moment my grandfather gave it to me—a minute after 10 a.m. on the morning of my fifth birthday—and how he leaned over and pointed out the various parts of the gun.