Why Gun Control Needs to be Stronger.

In this world, we tend to face so many problems that affect our lives as well as others. Sometimes, these problems can be completely out of our control like natural disasters and disease. However, some people in their world like to believe that gun violence is in that category. Because mass shootings and homicides happen so often, especially in the United States, citizens tend to think that there is nothing that we can do to prevent these attacks accept buy more guns for people to protect themselves and their property. Their main argument is that it is a right given to us by our founding fathers in the constitution. However, many things have changed since the days of our founding fathers. We have changed and created bills to fit our society and protect those who were previously unprotected like women, children, and minorities. Since we no longer live in a society where we need to revolt from a king or dictator, our gun laws should change as well to prevent more gun violence like the shootings at Sandy Hook and Orlando from happening.

Guns are a way of life in America. They are also a major problem. In the past 13 years in the United States, over 480 people have been killed in mass shootings and since 2000, there have been about 160 shootings. This is an enormous number! However, there has been little action in congress to make stronger gun control laws that would prevent guns from getting into the wrong hands. Not only would guns be regulated, but the amount of ammunition purchased at one time would also be limited. However, lobbyist and members of the NRA pay millions of dollars to members of congress to prevent any progress from being made. This result in more lives lost from unnecessary gun violence every year.

In this country, we look for ways to prevent gun violence. Some people believe that in order to prevent gun violence, we need to arm others with guns to protect themselves. Others think that we need to regulate who gets a gun and how much ammo they can purchase with it. However, after other countries have faced gun violence, they took different steps. In 1996, after 35 people were killed in a mass shooting in Tasmania, the Australian government completely confiscated all firearms from every citizen in the country. Instead of complaining and revolting, the citizens were understanding and for that year, the homicide rate dropped from 50000 people to 30000 and continues to drop to this day. Why can’t we learn from the actions of others? It is with this hesitation that our country loses more and more citizens to violence that could have been prevented.

As a student at Virginia tech, this topic is especially heartbreaking to me. When the shooting happened in 2007, I was in 5^th grade. Immediately after seeing what had happened on the news, I told myself, “I’m never going to go there! I don’t want to die!” Now, looking back on what I said, it was a stupid reason to not go to a school. However, a child should not have to say this. A child should not be swayed away from a college that is perfect for them because some man decides to murder multiple people. What is worse is that since I began my first day here, there have been several more shootings, including the Orlando night club shooting that beat Virginia tech in largest mass shooting in American history.

It is unbelievable how easily someone in this country can purchase a gun and end so many lives in a matter of minutes. It is even more unbelievable that congress has made no progress in preventing these events from happening. Mass shootings should not be things that come on the news once and month and that people should get used to. They should be tragedies that should be eliminated completely.