Illustration by Julian Yau
On December 14th, 2012, in Newtown, Conn., an armed and mentally unstable man stepped into Sandy Hook Elementary School. After five minutes that included over 150 gunshots, twenty children and eight adults were dead.
Guns are a constant threat in our society today — on average, they kill ninety Americans each day. That’s one every 16 minutes, resulting in an annual death toll of about 33,000. It is unacceptable that gun deaths remain so prominent in this country, and it is time for better regulation, including stricter background checks and bans on certain weapons with extremely dangerous capabilities.
Ownership of guns is widespread in America — the US has the highest per capita ownership of guns compared to every other nation in the world. In all 50 states, you can get a permit for the concealed carrying of these weapons, and in many you can even get one for openly carrying guns. Although the second amendment ensures the right to bear arms – arguably in a militia – the guns of the constitution’s time period pale in comparison to the power that firearms have today. Gun control is a necessary means to ensure safety and reduce violence.
First, citizens should not be able to purchase automatic or rapid semi-automatic weapons. Automatic and semi-automatic weapons, which can be fired as many times as the shooter pulls the trigger, should be banned by law because of the potential destruction they can cause. Weapons like these that can rapidly disperse bullets were made for effectiveness in warfare, and there is no place for them in the lives of a regular citizen. After all, when are you going to need to be able to shoot 120 bullets in a minute when hunting deer? Additionally, background checks must be performed on anybody in this country who wants to buy a gun. Currently, background check laws in this country are far too relaxed. Federal law mandates that only licensed gun sellers are required to conduct background checks. However, many private gun sellers (particularly those at gun shows) are not licensed. This allows anyone, regardless of criminal record or history of mental illness, to purchase guns freely from these unlicensed sellers. Background checks must be expanded to encompass more things such as mental health and historical criminal activity.
A man in Florida named Omar Mateen was known as an aggressive man who had a past of violent behavior towards those around him. Mateen’s wife, who had left him, described him as “mentally unstable” and “disturbed.” Despite mental issues, Mateen held an active firearms license and legally owned many guns since he wasn’t required to take any psychological test to buy them. With these weapons, Mateen killed 49 people in the Pulse nightclub in Orlando before he could be stopped. Extensive screening on those hoping to buy a gun would help prevent incidents in which dangerous people acquire deadly weapons.
These reforms may seem logical and just, but many oppose even the slightest changes to their ability to buy guns. One argument against gun control is that guns are needed for self-defense. Yes, there were 1.2 million violent crimes in 2012, but only 259 of those were from guns in self-defense situations. That’s .0215% — hardly enough to use self-defense as a valid argument against gun control.
Another common argument is that mass murderers don’t follow laws anyway, so gun control measures are useless. However, in many situations that have involved many deaths from guns, the murderers used weapons purchased or gained legally. Proper gun control measures would make it more difficult for these murderers to get the weapons they desire. Additionally, if we stopped making laws because we were scared criminals wouldn’t follow them – why make laws at all? Gun control will not stop all murders but it can provide a deterrent and make it difficult for the murderers to commit their despicable acts. The final justification – that is part of the Constitution – is also not a valid excuse because the Constitution can be rewritten, and it should be.
If proper gun control measures – or even small, common sense regulations – are not implemented then more death and destruction will ensue. The frequency of mass shootings in America has already desensitized many from the pain of witnessing these events. High numbers of killings will not disappear on their own. It is time to learn from the deaths in Newtown, Orlando, Aurora, San Bernardino, and Fort Lauderdale, and it is time for effective legislation that can finally bring an end to this senseless violence.
