In the United States, there are more than 300 million guns. That’s almost enough to distribute one gun to every man, woman, and child in the States. Gun violence is a serious problem that the U.S. government and public continue to struggle with.
Everytownresearch.com states that 91 Americans are killed by guns in an average day. That’s 33215 people a year.
Many people are confused why American government cannot implement stricter gun control laws. However, it should be considered that many American citizens don’t view guns as just a weapon. To them, it’s a right. Many people argue that any action that the American government does to restrict the citizens’ use of guns is a direct violation of the Second Amendment. The second amendment states that, “A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed.”
Although this may be true, the death rates from gun related accidents are too high to ignore. Something must be done.
AP Human Geography teacher at Valencia High School, Gregory Hayes, tells JSR, “It’s a really sad thing when you realize how many people are getting hurt because of gun violence because of this misunderstanding of the Second Amendment. And then you think about the little effort that has been put to stop this.”
There is no perfect way to regulate gun control, but some students voice their opinion on what should be done.
Valencia High School freshman, George Kim, tells JSR, “Gun violence is one of the most hideous of crimes. It’s the use of an unfair advantage against others. However, it’s almost impossible to eliminate because too many people own too many guns. To mitigate gun violence is to collect and take away all the guns that are owned by people; guns should be forbidden in the country…we need strong laws and fines. Education about guns is another major aspect that the U.S. doesn’t use. Look at Switzerland. We should model after them!”
In an interview with JSR, an eighth grader at Rio Norte Junior High, Jacob Lim, pitches in his ideas. “I don’t know much about gun violence, but I know that everyone has the right to bear arms. I don’t think that there is a problem with gun laws. However, I think that we need to make more appropriate consequences who violate the use of guns. Also, the government should do a better job tracking guns. I’ve seen on the news that a lot of gun related deaths happen because of misplaced and unlicensed guns.”
Gun control laws vary in different states. Some states, like Alaska, are more lenient while others, like California, are stricter. Different states have different policies regarding ownership, illegal guns, and consequences for transgressing local laws.
As mentioned before, gun violence is a big problem, especially in the States, Research shows that America’s gun murder rate is twenty-five times the average of other developed countries. However, the biggest problem about guns in America is our response to it. This country has to do more to create a safe haven where everyone can live without the worries, fears, and untimely death that gun violence has brought.
