By Sabiha Tafader
Today there are so many people that are in danger of random violence—not only in schools, but anywhere in public—that it becomes more important that we live in a place where it’s safe for all. Terror spreads all around when people possess guns without restriction. Nowadays, with advanced technology and access to the internet, guns are easily accessible. Therefore, having better gun control laws would secure the safety of all citizens.
Having stricter gun control is not a violation of the Second Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. The second amendment states, “The right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed.” People often focus so much on the “shall not be infringed” that they tend to forget that there are restrictions automatically included in having this “right,” just as there are restrictions implied in every other law. The right to own guns should not be taken as a guaranteed advantage to the extent where many innocent lives are lost. According to Slate magazine article “The second amendment is not absolute,” by Sonja West it states “We impose restrictions on all sorts of constitutional rights. The right to bear arms is no different.” Meaning that there are limits to the right bestowed by the Second Amendment. For instance, there are people that take advantage of their Second Amendment right and use it to commit crimes; which is why more thoughtful restrictions will be beneficial for all. This way we can help prevent many deaths that are currently occurring, and thereby make our society a better place.
More guns usually means a higher risk of violence. It is statistically proven that in the United States there is an excessive rate of gun ownership. According to a report by the Switzerland-based Small Arms Survey, it states, “The United States, with less than 5 percent of the world’s population, has about 35–50 percent of the world’s civilian-owned guns.” Although the United States has a smaller population compared to the world’s population, it nevertheless has the biggest number of gun owners. One of the online articles from NBC News states, “In Parkland, Florida 17 people were killed and another 14 were wounded.” Nikolas Cruz was only 19 , a student at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School entered the school and took the innocent lives of many, leaving their families and friends in lifelong grief! With guns so easily accessible, it might not take long to wipe out half the country’s population. This shows that due to the prevalence of guns there are more is identa of shootings. The number of lives taken by guns could have been prevented been prevented if heavy restriction on guns existed!
Overall, gun control does not necessarily end violence, but it can aid in reducing the number of crimes that occur. The additional safety provided by gun control is not only important for the students who attend schools, but for all people in general. I believe we can establish safer communities in which to live only if there are improved laws regarding gun control. Contrary to some suggestions, arming teachers is not the best way to stop school shootings. More legal guns in the hands of police or civilians will only make the possibility of gun violence seem more “normal” than it should be.
This topic is very significant to me because I am a high school student during an era when schools of all kinds are increasingly being invaded and shot up by random gunmen. The biggest surprise besides the shooters themselves has been the lack of effective response from politicians and lawmakers after each new shooting. Teachers and students seem to keep dying because no responsible adult seems able or willing to prevent it.
According to an article in US News and World Report, “The groups that stand in opposition to looser gun laws say they are ready to rumble as the NRA enjoys a post-election payoff moment Friday when Trump becomes the first president to appear at its convention since Ronald Reagan in 1983.” In Anti-Gun Control Groups, author Dave Fidlin lists pro-gun groups who stand in the way of better gun laws, including the NRA, Gun Owners of America, Second Amendment Foundation, National Shooting Sports Foundation, National Association for Gun Rights, Pro-Gun New Hampshire, and New York State Rifle and Pistol Association. These are just some of the top organizations who say they are fighting for the 2nd amendment because they believe that gun control would go against that amendment! I attend school regularly, and it’s important for me to feel safe in this environment to become successful in life. To me, the bigger idea is that stricter gun control is one way to reduce the number of firearms available to criminals and the mentally unstable…and with fewer guns in the world, there would be fewer innocents harmed by gunshots.