Imagine you’re at school, sitting in class when all of a sudden a gunshot echoes down the hall. The calm classroom begins to panic. Screams fill the hall as you and the rest of your classmate sprint through to safety. Every day, Americans live in constant fear of where the next shooting will be, and if they might be the next victim.

Our country needs gun control, but unfortunately, when people hear members of Congress or concerned citizens talking about gun control, they think of a country where guns are banned and people are unable to protect themselves. However, I believe that gun control means limiting the number of guns someone can own and limiting the types of guns available to the public. People should not be able to own weapons that can shoot 200 bullets a minute, yet our lawmakers let these deadly weapons into the hands of the unfit.

Growing up in a generation that has witnessed hate and murder within our communities, I have thought a lot about the influence guns have on my country. As a student growing up in this hostile generation, I no longer feel as safe in a school or public places like restaurants and the mall. The number of mass shootings is increasing. USA Today reported that there have been 307 this year. This is almost equivalent to the number of days in a year.

One of the most recent and publicized mass shootings occured February 14, 2018 in Parkland, Florida. Ella Singer, a personal friend of mine and a student at Stoneman Douglas High School, the site of this tragic event, explained how nothing has changed within the environment at the school. Not only did her country refuse to change its laws on guns, but the school affected didn’t change the way the students treat each other.

In today’s society, we have slowly become brainwashed into thinking that it is normal to live in a world where mass shootings are normal. I understand that everyone has to right to bear arms, which is guaranteed in the Second Amendment, but those who support gun control are not trying to take that right away. We should make stricter laws surrounding semi-automatic weapons that are taking the lives of innocent people. As former President Barack Obama explained, “We’re a nation that believes in the Second Amendment, and I believe in the Second Amendment. We’ve got a long tradition of hunting and sportsmen and people who want to make sure they can protect themselves.[…]But weapons that were designed for soldiers in war theaters don’t belong on our streets.” Most people can agree that guns used to protect individuals and their families are acceptable, but they also should understand that people should not own a dangerous weapon that has the power to murder countless, and was designed to do so in seconds.

Some may argue that it’s the people behind the guns that are the issue—not the actual weapons—but we have places to help people with mental health issues. What we don’t have are restrictions on guns that prevent dangerous weapons from falling into the hands of those who shouldn’t possess them.

According to The New York Times, on average, 96 people die a day due to gun violence.In 2018 there were 40,000 deaths, this is marked to be the highest death rate in the decade. As time goes on a gun’s intensity and power will change, but in order to prevent these dangerous weapons from wiping out the nation, our country’s gun laws will also have to change. Change the way you can purchase guns. Change who can own a semi-automatic rifle. Change how many murderous weapons someone can own.

But these changes will require time, sacrifice, and hope, and I believe that this generation has the power to make the change and save lives. We have made many efforts already by holding protests and marches, gathering the attention of the leaders of our country, and helping our country finally come closer to a change in our gun control laws.

https://www.businessinsider.com/how-many-mass-shootings-in-america-this-year-2018-2

https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2018/02/these-4-countries-have-nearly-eliminated-gun-deaths-heres-what-the-us-can-learn

ttps://www.nytimes.com/2018/02/14/us/parkland-school-shooting.html

https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2018/06/10/opinion/editorials/gun-violence-pulse-orlando.html

https://www.cnn.com/2018/12/13/health/gun-deaths-highest-40-years-cdc/index.html