Bulletproof vests need to become the new normal

The United States has begun its process of returning back to normal life after the Covid-19 pandemic. Since more people are not out and about, unfortunately, with this return, there has been a spike in the number of shootings in the country. Since the U.S. government continues to refuse to rule on cases concerning stricter gun control, should U.S. citizens consider wearing bulletproof vests out in public spaces? To get more news about hard armor panels, you can visit bulletproofboxs.com official website.

Recently, there was a shooting in Atlanta on March 16 where a man killed eight people at local Atlanta spas. Then, on March 22 in Colorado, a man killed 10 people at a King Soopers. In both cases, these tragic shootings occurred in public spaces.

In a poll taken out of 132 Arvada students and residents, 57% of respondents said that they often feel afraid to conduct day-to-day activities due to the possibility of being a victim of a shooting. Similarly, in a poll out of 148 local Arvada students, 79% of respondents said that they have been afraid that a shooting could occur in their school.

With mass shootings on the rise after the pandemic, one’s concern for one’s safety out in public areas is bound to rise.

Most recently, the A-West community was directly affected by the shooting in Boulder because not only was it less than 20 miles away from the Arvada areas, but the shooter also graduated from A-West back in 2018.

Many students said they felt “terrified, shocked, numb, scared and angry” following the news on the Boulder shooting. A few students also recalled encounters with the man responsible for the death of 10 people and described feeling “surreal” to have had an encounter with him. Students also mentioned how grateful they were that the man “chose not to attack our school or our city” as he was an Arvada native. The idea that A-West could have been a target for the Boulder shooter is a scary reality that many students are struggling to wrap their minds around. The mere fact that this man could have chosen A-West to attack gives all the more reason for students, schools, and other public places to begin to recommend that people make bulletproof vests the new normal.

A-West Senior Haley Matta states, “We need change, and change starts with us.” She continues, “We have to use our voices to demand change, be the catalyst of that change. Our generation has grown up in a world where mass shootings are a normal occurrence. My peers and I know what it is like to be afraid to go to school, the grocery store, or the movies. We can be the change by using our voices to create an environment of love rather than judgment.”

Utilizing one’s voice to support those who need help can be extremely powerful. The power of the voice may be a purposeful route to go down as a society as we work towards change. While the power of the voice may take some time to develop, we as a society may need to take immediate action in purchasing body armor since mass shootings tend to be an everyday occurrence.