Aftermath of the Columbine School Shooting

The outcome of these tragedies is significant on not just the community in which they take place, but our nation as a whole. They lead to protests with people pointing fingers at anything and everything as the root cause of the tragedy. Parents become afraid to send their children to school. Following the Columbine shooting, schools across the United States started new security measures such as metal detectors, see through backpacks and school security guards. At the same time, police departments across the nation reassessed their tactics and began to train for Columbine-like situations after facing criticism over the slow response and progress during the shooting.

The effects are not all negative however. In the wake of these tragedies, people from all walks of life come together to support the victims and show them that they are not alone.

One of the many effects these tragedies have on our society is that the debate around gun laws gets reenergized. Some believe that if stricter laws regarding the purchasing and ownership of firearms were to be implimented, there would be fewer massacres.

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Others however, believe that stricter gun laws would have little to no effect, but would instead, lead to an increase in crime overall due to an inability for people to defend themselves. Regardless of which side of this debate you find yourself on, we need to all come together to work towards identifiying and solving the problems that lead to these tragedies. In 2009, sociologist Ralph Larkin concluded 'Harris and Klebold committed their rampage shooting as an overtly political act in the name of oppressed students victimized by their peers.

Numerous post-Columbine rampage shooters referred directly to Columbine as their inspiration; others attempted to supersede the Columbine shooting in the body count. The Columbine shooting redefined such acts not merely as revenge, but as a means of protest of bullying, intimidation and public rituals of humiliation.' Many of these massacres have been used as inspiration to write songs, films and launch political as well as charitable campaigns. An example of this is a song written by the band Flyleaf. Their song 'Cassie' is in memory of Cassie Bernall, one of the victims of the Columbine High School shooting. These tragedies have a way of bringing out the good and the bad in society, it's what we choose to do to solve the causes that will determine whether or not they will continue to occur.