In the United States and throughout the world, the issue of gun regulation has been controversial for many years. There are two sides to this debate, those who favor gun control, who think that weapons should be removed from public spaces, and those who oppose it, who think that gun ownership is a fundamental right for Americans. I take the stance that in order to keep the streets and overall country safe, guns should be removed. In order to put an end to unlawful and devastating shootings all across the globe, we must take action and fight for change. Real gun laws will save lives and make mass shootings a tragic time of the past. It will not make the world a perfect place, but it is an immense step from choosing to do absolutely nothing. 

The people who choose to argue against gun reform speak as if they are under the impression that laws restricting guns only apply to law-abiding citizens. The Constitution is often cited as the main argument against gun control, but this reasoning is unconvincing and overused. Many edits have been made to the Constitution such as equal rights for women which changed society completely and for the better. This being said I do not believe this amendment should be considered any differently when it's doing more harm than good. If they were the ones who had to answer a phone call explaining their loved one wouldn’t be coming home I strongly disbelieve they would reply with quotes from the constitution. Experience changes perspective. I would never wish that upon anyone, but I do wish they could see how real and often it happens. 

Children and teenagers across the nation are terrified when they hear the word “lockdown.” That fear stems from seeing and hearing their friends and family have been murdered inside the school building by an armed man. An article from The Washington Post has a school teacher explaining that he has little girls asking if bad people are going to come in there with guns. Imagine if that was your daughter. How would you feel hearing those words come out of her mouth, out of pure, raw, terror? School is supposed to be a place of learning, bonding, and safety but instead, it's the opposite. Children now learn what to do in the case of a gunman entering the school. According to the Gun Violence Archive, there have been at least 163 mass shootings in the United States this year. That is an outrageous and sickening amount and it's only due to neglect. Some people attempt to argue that guns aren’t the problem, the people are. Sure, the people have issues as well but the bottom line is that if they didn’t have access to guns, many people would still be alive. The first big tragedy should have been enough to let people know there was an issue with the laws regarding guns but many tragedies later and people are still choosing to ignore it, choosing to do absolutely nothing.

Many people also attempt to make the argument that police officers need guns to keep us safe which may be true. However, police officers don’t carry AR-15s, probably because there is no reason for a single person to need that powerful of a weapon. A police officer carrying a handgun is nowhere comparable to an 18-year-old needing an assault rifle. The police are there to protect and serve and have thorough background and mental stability checks before becoming an officer. Not everyone purchasing a gun gets that same level of background check.

The facts I found while researching on NPR’s website were disturbing, terrifying, and sickening. Starting with the fact that there have been nine hundred and fifty school shootings since the tragedy that was Sandy Hook. I also read that one hundred people in the U.S. are murdered every day by gunfire alone. Lastly, I read that seventy-nine percent of all murders each day are caused by gun violence. 

There should be an obligatory requirement that schools everywhere evaluate their overall atmosphere, ensure psychologically and physically safe surroundings, and foster a supportive learning community that safeguards all children and adults from intimidation, assault, and violence. There should be a prohibition on assault-style weapons, large-capacity ammo clips, and items that convert semi-automatic weapons into automatic weapons, as well as thorough background checks for all gun transactions. I also hope law enforcement, mental health, and educational organizations start encouraging these preventative initiatives.