What do you think would happen if someone like a criminal or an extremely mentally ill person got ahold of an unlocked gun? You probably already know. We see it every day; new massacres, accidents, and suicides, all caused by this particular weapon getting into the wrong hands. This is why I believe we need better regulations on guns in America.
    Something that many people don’t seem to understand is that guns, especially semi-automatics, are extremely powerful weapons. For example, “Semi-automatic rifles that accept detachable magazines holding more than 10 rounds of ammunition..” This is just a small excerpt  from “10 Big Questions in the U.S Gun Control Debate” that shows how much ammo a single semi-automatic rifle may be able to hold. Other military-grade weapons like grenades are extremely hard to access, why is this one easy?
    Most people who commit mass shootings are mentally ill. After all, a person with a perfectly rational mind wouldn’t have the conscience to do such a horrible thing, right? Take Adam Lanza, for example. He is the man responsible for the horrifying murder of 26 people, including 20 children, at Sandy Hook Elementary School in December of 2012.He had a history of “severe and deteriorating internalized mental health problems.” Why was he allowed access to dangerous weapons? It just makes sense to restrict guns from people who are proven to suffer from extreme mental illness.
    Anti-gun control activists sometimes argue that stricter gun laws won’t prevent shootings from happening. While this may be true, more gun laws can bring down the amount of gun homicides. Take Finland and Switzerland, for example. Both countries have a lot of guns, just like the U.S. But here’s the catch; both countries are more less lenient when it comes to guns. “Finland had just 14 gun homicides in 2010… Switzerland, with 40 gun killings…” Compared to the 11,101 gun homicides in the U.S in 2011, these numbers are miniscule. Obviously, stricter firearm laws work, according to this evidence.
    Let me make this clear; I know people who responsibly own firearms. I don’t want guns to be outright banned. I just want them out of the hands of dangerous people, and if that means a few more gun laws, so be it. With the sheer amount of gun violence in the United States, it is obvious that our weak regulations aren’t working. More gun control may not stop all of our violence problems, but if  it just prevents one more school shooting or one more massacre on the streets, I think it will be worth it.