This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2013, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
The announcement came in the middle of math class: "Judge Memorial, this is a lockdown. This is a lockdown."
It was only a drill, but we all had to crouch behind a table in the corner, while our teacher locked the door and turned out all the lights. How ridiculous that we live in a country with so many weapons that we have to waste class time learning what to do if a gunman enters our school.
People say, "It isn't the gun that is killing people, it is the person wielding it." This makes absolutely no sense.
If the government makes it harder to obtain guns, fewer people would be hurt by guns. The man who broke into a Chinese school with a knife injured many children, but most survived. At Sandy Hook Elementary, a man armed with a gun killed students, teachers and staff.
It is time we enforce gun control so that we can make the world a safer place.
Olivia Pratt
Salt Lake City