On Wednesday, Feb. 14, a shooter opened fire upon Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Fla., taking the lives of 17 students and teachers.

In a speech on Thursday, Feb. 15, President Donald Trump addressed the nation on this event.

“To every parent, teacher and child who is hurting so badly, we are here for you, whatever you need, whatever we can do to ease your pain. We are all joined together as one American family, and your suffering is our burden also,” Trump said.

As students in the United States of America, The Eclipse staff knows the fear instilled in our nation.

Here, we address our needs in order to feel safe in our school.

Alanna Montgomery

Mr. President,

I honestly feel like schools are getting less and less safe.

I shouldn’t have to worry about whether or not I’m going to die at the hands of a school shooter while I’m trying to learn a new subject.

With the way society is changing, we need to take new precautions to make sure people stay safe.

To feel safe, I would like the school to have heavy-duty doors and bullet-proof glass. I want the schools to have metal detectors and actual trained security guards. I need for the schools to stop automatically buzzing people inside the school without knowing their intentions.

I can’t concentrate on my schoolwork if I don’t even feel safe here.

Autumn Prescott

Dear Mr. President,

This most recent school shooting has not only pulled the trigger on innocent children but has also pulled the trigger on every student’s awareness of the epidemic we are facing.

The fear that someone could easily come into our school and take our lives is not only bothersome, it’s terrifying. This fear is nearly paralyzing, just like the gunshot wounds that could potentially take our lives.

To take away this fear and the potential of more tragic accidents, the ability to buy guns should have restrictions including heavier background checks, training, and strict psychological testing.

By creating a stricter environment around the purchase of guns, we could prevent the school shootings that have American students scared to go to school.

After all, which is more important: the ability to buy a gun or the ability to learn in a safe environment?

Brianna Horne

Mr. President,

We should not feel unsafe in our schools.

In order to feel secure in a classroom setting, I would prefer to have metal detectors at every door, bulletproof entrances and windows in every school, and a lack of automatic and military-grade weapons among civilians. I would also like to see trained security guards and armed policemen in the halls of our schools.

I feel that if someone were to come into our school with a weapon, metal detectors, and armed guards would discourage them.

I also believe schools should background check school guests before allowing them into the buildings.

Coaches, teachers, and other school employees must be screened, so why not guests?

Connor Earegood

Mr. President and Congress,

I would like schools in the United States to have armed police officers assigned to buildings. The number should be dependent on the school’s size and student population.

Also, teachers should receive training on firearm safety and have the option to carry concealed pistols. When you create “soft targets” with gun-free zones, it advertises to potential shooters that they will not have opposition.

Shooters want to take others with them to get attention.

If they don’t think they can harm individuals and get attention, they will likely not attack a school.

Emily Rose

President Trump,

I’m disappointed with the way you’re handling this gun-control issue.

Gun control is treated like a topic we need to tiptoe around. I think this issue should be talked about and dissected until a reasonable compromise can be made.

It is a hard topic to talk about and compromise on, but that doesn’t mean we should run. When something is hard you should want to attack it, especially when it comes to the youth of our country.

I want to feel safe and have my future kids be safe going to school without having to worry.

Kate Monreal

Mr. President,

For safety precautions, I would like there to be classroom things, such as whiteboards that will be used as shields because they are bulletproof.

Sandy Hook Elementary School installed these after the shooting they had in December 2012.

If we could use these things as a shield, we would be able to protect us from being harmed if there ever was a school shooter in the building.

Megan Millinkov

Mr. President,

Right now, I don’t think the problem in America is as simple as gun control.

We should not completely get rid of guns. Right now, we need them in order to protect ourselves. If someone truly wanted to hurt people, they’d be able to obtain a gun, or any weapon for that matter, illegally — no problem.

Making guns less accessible and, perhaps, ridding us of easily-accessible automatic and semi-automatic weapons may ease the violence.

For too long, warnings have been overlooked and ignored, threats directed at not only our schools, but our homes, businesses, and more.

What would truly make me feel safer at school would be more investigation and better focus on the mental health of students, staff, and anyone in the district.

What we need to see is why this is happening so often.

The ones truly responsible for the shootings are not the guns themselves. It is those behind the trigger.