The shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Florida on Wednesday the 14th was a tragedy. 17 people died, some of which were staff members protecting their own students. Our hearts here at the Arrow are breaking in the mourning of the lives stripped away from this world. It is hard to process the brokenness and hurt that we come across in our lives. It is especially tough when there is not just one bad thing happening but many tragedies. This was not the only shooting in the past couple years; it has been happening more often. The fact that people have the desire to take away numerous lives is disheartening. Many people are frightened by the idea of how easy it was for this shooting in Florida, and other shootings, to happen.

This raises concerns about the cost of freedom. One of America’s main values is freedom for all, but what does that really mean? Freedom and responsibility should be paralleled, and when that does not happen, problems arise. It is a beautiful thing for people to have the ability to make their own choices and to create lives for themselves, but it also runs the risk of people making bad decisions that may harm others. It is hard to grasp the balance between the line of freedom and control, whether it be self control or externally enforced control. Regulations and rules are created so that safety can be more thoroughly achieved, but there is no way to create a fool-proof plan. There is no perfect system to combat this issue, and there is no answer to the question; regardless, it is an important thing to talk about. Asking questions is a good start; pushing societal boundaries and pushing our own mental boundaries is how we will overcome these issues.

Many students within our school have felt worried about safety, and the same statement always lingers in the back of peoples’ minds which is “that could have been me; that could have been this school.” Empathy is truly built by putting ourselves into that situation and allowing for a broader understanding. Although it can be easy to find that once we put ourselves into that situation, we cannot seem to take ourselves out of it. Dwelling in despair and depression about it is not going to help mental health; so try not get too bogged down. It is about finding the balance between an acknowledgement and acceptance of negative emotions, with the hope of moving forward and connecting within the community to do that.

Renton Superintendent Dr. Damien Pattenaude released a statement on the district website about the safety precautions Renton Schools have been taking recently, which offered solace for everyone who had anxiety from the shooting. He reassured people by saying, “We have thoughtful and specific measures in place for the safety of all students and staff across the district; and we are working to improve those measures daily.” He also mentioned the strong relationship the district has with the local police and how he strives to make school a welcoming place.

Students should not have to go to school afraid that their lives could be taken; everybody deserves the right to feel safe in their community. When something like this happens, it is important for people to have a way to process their feelings and to grieve. Try to respect that everybody does that a little differently. Giving people room to heal and creating safe spaces to have conversations is a good start. I hope that everyone can understand their feelings are valid, and even though all the answers are not clear, sometimes it is okay to not know and that there is still hope.