Most people who advocate against Gun Control do so by putting an emphasis on our 2nd amendment right to “bear arms.” I find this point slightly gratuitous seeing as though the British probably will not be invading the United States anytime soon or looting our houses. Others that support the amendment tend to use the hunter’s alibi, saying they need the guns to hunt wildlife for food and sport. I am not sure why someone would need an automatic weapon that could shoot over 100 rounds per second and would rip said animal to shreds for a hunting weapon, but to each his own.
To speak on something a little more practical and a lot more prevalent, on Aug. 4 in Dayton, Ohio a gunman opened fire and left 9 dead and at least 27 injured in less than 60 seconds. This is from the Washington Post, which also expressed how many people were outraged that there are still not stricter gun laws. The day before this tragedy, there was another mass shooting in El Paso, Texas where the gunman managed to kill 22 people and injured 24 others. It seems when such tragedies happen, instead of taking effective and fast action, our government officials continue to give inadequate excuses.
One solution could be to have stricter background checks and laws for those who want to purchase a weapon based on the grade. It should not be as easy to buy a semi-automatic rifle as it is to purchase a small handgun. Another, maybe more intense way to handle this, would be to take military grade, automatic, and even semi-automatic weapons off the market entirely for civilians. These are the same guns used in combat by military personnel who have had extensive training.
In the case of El Paso, Texas and the mass shooting at Emanuel AME Church in 2015, racism was a prominent factor. President Trump’s administration may have something to due with the boldness of these acts, but people have always been racist. The president continues to do nothing and people are still dying tragic deaths in mass shootings.
Gun control, in some way, shape, or form, is needed to help save lives. It is needed so that people do not have to live their lives in fear just for being themselves. I am not suggesting we get rid of all guns, but there is simply no reason or need for everyday civilians to have access to military grade weapons. No intruder is so dangerous that a person needs a gun capable of firing off that fast. No animal that is being hunted is so dangerous or powerful that these weapons would be necessary. These shooters have one motive: to kill as many people as they can in a short amount of time. Cases like this should be treated as what they are — domestic terrorism.