The middle of the school year is always hard, not at the beginning nor close to the end. It seems like it's going to be forever until the summer, at least that’s how Avery felt. For her, an average school day includes going to first period, math. Avery found this class to be a waste of time, anything would be better than sitting in there. Anything like a loud BANG reverberating down the hallway to her classroom. Time feels as though it’s slowed down, minutes that feel like hours are followed by five more shots of that muffled banging. It’s dead silent before the low ringing of the intercom starts, “A.L.I.C.E, this is not a drill…” The security officer's words faded as Avery’s mind clouded with fear, she couldn’t hear where the shooter was on the intercom nor could she hear the sound of pounding footsteps coming closer to her classroom. She could hear the banging on the door, she could hear the sound of the handles breaking and the screams of those around her. She saw a person slowly fall down in front of her, crimson red slowly seeped through his white shirt as his eyes stared wide back into hers. Panic flashed through her brain and without thinking Avery copied the movements of the boy in front of her and fell to the floor. No matter how bad she wanted to close her eyes and cry, she kept them open. No matter how bad she wanted to cover her ears, she stayed still, not even flinching when more rounds were shot in the air. All until it was over. Avery wasn’t the only kid affected by this, in fact it wasn’t just children. Parents lost their kids, people are losing siblings and friends. And absolutely no one is safe. While this narration is just a story, that doesn't mean it can’t and won’t happen. Thousands of people die per year due to unprotected gun laws, preventing purchasing, and a limited amount of background checks. Improper usage of firearms has been occurring for years. While many have tried to stop or decrease the number of deaths per year but there has still been no true positive result. 

Firearm usage has never been so overpowering and so wrongly used by society since the early 1970’s, but back in 2019 is when it all went downhill. While the gun crimes and mass shootings happen all over America, there are some states that could easily be considered as a national failure. This is for its sad attempt at protecting citizens from guns. Kentucky is one of those states. From USAToday's article, ‘Want fewer shootings? Pass tougher gun laws’, they said “The science is increasingly clear that while some restrictive gun laws seem to reduce gun violence, other more permissive gun laws worsen it. And with more than 40,000 gun deaths a year in America, the stakes could hardly be higher.” (Moral and Smart 1)Gun laws remain a controversial idea to many, most are in favor of loose gun laws. We do not have enough laws to combat and prevent this ongoing battle against firearms. When purchasing guns, unlike other countries it is relatively easy, so much so almost every Kentuckian has a gun in their home. This makes it increasingly easy for teens or adolescents to obtain them. Thus riseing the suicide rate and incresing school shootings. These are the factors that make having 40,000 gun deaths a year possible. Evidence from Everytown research, states ‘Gun safety policy saves lives’ said “Access to a firearm drastically increases the likelihood of suicide and a gun in the home is associated with more gun homicide.”(Everytown research 2)  Kids are curious and often touch on things that they find to be interesting. This is how accidents can happen with guns. children of our society shouldn’t have knowledge of guns being present nor should it somehow affect their lives, yet many households in our society hold guns. Additionaly, we have many school shootings increasing odds for both children and teen suicide. These things could all potentially be avoided with the right precautions. Kentucky’s legislature should take more responsibility and enforce adding background checks and laws for purchasing or carrying firearms, to try and prevent any more mass shootings to decrease the death rate. 

Kentucky's refusal to change laws or add them when dealing with gun safety has left us with the deaths of thousands. In 1994 a ban was issued that was removed nearly a decade later. Bills since have been issued to try and restore the ban but the majority U.S citizens feel it is validating their right of freedom. It comes as no surprise most people steam their beliefs when dealing with guns is the 2nd amendment, “A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms shall not be infringed." (NPR.org, Elving 1). The feeling of being able to carry a firearm around with you evokes this sort of freedom in people that most don’t want to let go of. This sort of ordeal could give off a sense of power most want over their lives. America is known as a free state, and compared to others that gives us a higher standard. So cutting off something like this is taking away rights. NPR went over the history of gun violence and how it has continued to elevate over the years, “Republicans, for their part, were once again blaming the individuals who commit these crimes and changes in society they say have weakened our ability to fight crime in general.”(Elving 2) While yes, the people are to blame for such gun crimes, most don’t think that maybe putting something against guns could potentially stop this crisis. When a problem involves something like guns the obvious combat to such would be to place a bill to prevent purchase or carry.

As the selling of firearms grows in Kentucky, the more citizens, such as children,  lose lives and loved ones around them. Lately, there has been a rise in school shootings, the most recent being this year, in Nashville Indiana. This leaves parents heartbroken and distraught over something that could have been fixed by the government ever since it first began in 1764 on July 26.  Everytown Research also did a study and said “Guns are the leading cause of death among children and teens in Kentucky. In Kentucky, an average of 70 children and teens die by guns every year, “(Everytown 2) The children who are supposed to be our future are being killed by the people of the present. Way before they get the chance to change the world. Children die everyday due to gun violence, whether suicide or homicide, children are given easy accsess to firearms, with adolescents 18-21 years old being old enough to own a gun (Invisible 2).By this time in their life, people this are barely old enough to Vote, so intrusting them to do something responsible with a firearm is highly unlikely. Gun sellers are also not doing background checks on everybody, only who they deem as deserving, so they could potentially sell a firearm to someone who doesn’t seem like they aren’t mentally okay and potentially dangerous to multiple people. In Morral and Smart’s article ‘Want fewer shootings?’ stated “laws that require background checks for all firearm transactions, not just those involving a licensed dealer, have moderate evidence of reducing total homicides.”(2) So there have been laws that if started to reduce who we are selling these guns to, then the deaths we have could have been avoidable. Individuals like children wouldn't have to take the fall or the blame. Thousands of families are heartbroken because of the death of their loved ones, all whose deaths could have been avoided if we had just had some stronger laws with guns. 

Kentucky citizens should not be allowed to carry concealed weapons without proper reasoning from higher authorities. The original use of guns is for warfare purposes, only to be mainly used by the military, “and do not belong in the hands of everyday citizens, yet they can be purchased commercially in most states.” ( Invisible.org) These weapons are used to kill multiple amounts of people effectively, very useful in a war but not outside use with everyday people walking around. Putting into perspective that if guns never existed nothing would really pose a threat, which would mean no real reason to carry around firearms so heavily like we have been doing. The most sane thing to do would seem like this kind of technology is be banned from many areas for the safety of others around them, but that fails to be the case when a study was made about the rise of shootings in kentucky by ABC News, ”The law does not have any provisions preventing firearms in several locations such as hospitals, houses of worship, sports arenas, casinos, polling places and banks, according to state law.” (Pereira 4) All of these locations fail to have proper reasons for firearms to be present. A house of worship, which regardless of religion, is a typically known place for having seemingly no violence. Even a hospital, with this information in mind, how are locations such as these, which mind you are everyday places, expected to be safe?

Kentucky citizens without proper mental wellness should not be permitted access to purchasing firearms. When background checks are present, they see if the customer has had any recent criminal history or any sense of violent action. Along with this background checks lets the seller know if they are mentally well and should be liable to own a gun at this moment in their life. This used to be a law when someone wanted to purchase a weapon but four years ago, back in 2019, a law was passed that removed gun owners from passing background checks “if they were going to carry a concealed weapon.”(Pereria 3) This now makes us one of the 26 states that doesn’t have to have permits to own a gun. Without this law protecting us, shootings are now on the rise, thousands die due to untrustworthy people with firearms. While we have laws prohibiting criminal history, there is nothing against people with violent behaviors or demeanors, even Kentucky residents that have mental health disorders, “domestic abuse restraining orders, or anyone with substance abuse disorders.” (Pereria 3) are fully allowed to have firearms without restraint. Giving a gun to someone who would normally be known for violent behavior is equivalent to waving a red flag. Not just putting the gun owner in danger of penitentially hurting themselves, but also hurting other people. If someone is prohibited from purchasing a gun, there are obvious loopholes to still obtaining one in possession. Authors of Invisible.org did a study on ‘how states can prevent gun violence’ and found that “40% of all gun sales occur privately at gun shows, flea markets, over the internet, or between individuals.” With this way around the law, people who would be the ones to fail background checks now have easy access and obtain a firearm legally. (Invisible 2) This isn’t against the law, so everyday citizens would be unable to stop an individual from hurting those around them. So we are left with a flaw in our system that is completely legal, leading to thousands of deaths per year.

Kentucky’s legislatures should pass a bill to reduce the usage of firearms. 25 years. For 25 years, guns or firearms have been used to cause destruction and heartbreak with seemingly innocent citizens of our state. While mass shootings have happened all over the world, especially in America, we can’t help but notice the ones that stick out like a sore thumb. These are the ones that have little to no laws regarding stopping gun violence, And Kentucky is one of them. According to Invisible, “Much like many of our other fights at the federal level, it is extremely hard to convince a Republican-controlled Congress to do the right thing, even when our children’s lives are on the line.” (invisible 3). Many people have been trying to stop mass shootings or at least bring them down a notch to decrease the number of deaths per year. On the other side it seems that  not only Congress, but millions of American citizens believe in freedom, when it comes to owning guns. Congress often sides the majority on matters such as these, so it comes as no surprise when it becomes difficult to change their minds. When using laws to combat gun deaths in other states, however, come back with positive results as “several more restrictive laws appear to reduce the risk of firearm homicides and suicides. There is now supportive evidence that child access prevention laws reduce firearm homicides and self-injuries among youths.” (Morral and Smart 3). Evidence from other states could be used to incorporate benefiting rules into our society, for the better of everyday citizens. States like Massechusettes, which have the lowest gun deaths at 3.4%, also have some of the strongest gun laws,78%, to combat it. Comparing this to Kentucky who has a gun violence rate of 21.1%, and a gun law strength of 9%. Doing something like this would easily improve a part of our society for the better, stopping the rising deaths involving guns, suicides and homicides, to make our community safer as a whole.

Everything in some way can be prevented, and firearm usage is no exception. Kentucky is one of the many states that is failing to protect its citizens from the demise of gun violence, but it doesn’t have to be this way. We could use other states as an example to make a place that is better for others to live in by fixing the problems by changing the laws. Strengthening background checks, and laws against carrying firearms, strengthening security in buildings to prevent shootings, these are all ways to help completely end deaths dealing with guns. Until Kentucky's legislatures take action to fix the safety of purchasing firearms, we will remain as a state, a national failure.