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On at the hands of a gun. mass

On December 14, 2012, Adam Lanza walked into Sandy Hook Elementary Schoolcarrying a semi-automatic assault rifle, two pistols, and the intent to kill.

Lanza then shot andkilled twenty first graders, along with six adults. Twenty-six lives were cut short because achallenged man had easy access to deadly weapons. My own little brother was the age of thechildren killed, and it made me sick to think about him being placed in a situation like that. Whyis violence like this increasing and continuing? The United States is responsible for more shootings and shooting deaths than any countryin the world. This year alone, there have been more than 13, 000 deaths at the hands of a gun.

Mass shootings are heartbreaking events that occur almost everyday, yet we are unaware ofmany of them. On May 27th, eight people were shot and killed in Mississippi. Most Americansare oblivious to this event because there is no time to put every single shooting into the media. Someone being shot is something I see on the news every day. It no longer comes as a surprise. American citizens seem to be becoming less outraged with each incident. It is tragic that it ispossible to feel numb to people dying.

Gun violence is something that has been shrugged off. The Second Amendment is the written text that gives citizens the right to own guns, which leads to these ludicrous acts. The amendment states, “ A well regulated Militia, beingRichardson 1 necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall notbe infringed.

” Recently, the context of the Second Amendment has been widely debated. Theamendment declares that people have the right to keep and bear arms, but is it directed towardindividual gun owners or toward the militia itself? The amendment does not clearly answer thisquestion. From my perspective, the modern world has misinterpreted the Second Amendment. During the era of which the Constitution was written, every man was required to own a gun andtake part in the militia. This presents the thought that maybe individual gun ownership was neverintended. A change in this amendment isn’t necessary, but a change in perception is.

Automatic weapons, semi-automatic weapons, and high capacity magazines are threeother sources that contribute to gun violence. In most states, it is legal to obtain and own semi-automatic weapons if they are registered. The state laws on weapons are strong, but more areneeded. Making a gun illegal serves absolutely no purpose if people are still acquiring them andkilling others.

Unquestionably, there is no reason as to why a civilian should need to possess aweapon that emits hundreds of rounds per minute. Owning a gun of any sort is comparable togetting a license to drive a car. Buying a gun should be accompanied by training, a written test, apractical test, health requirements, liability insurance, and inspections. If guns were as regulatedas cars, lives might be spared. The availability of weapons is a contributing factor to gun murders, but I do not believethat guns are the only reason.

Some shootings are categorized as hate crimes, which are definedas acts of violence against someone because of his/her affiliation with a specific group, race, orreligion. Others are the result of a copycat killer. Little will stop a lunatic from killing someone, Richardson 2 but in the wake of a shooting, every measure possible should be put in place to ensure it doesn’trepeat itself. Gun control is a topic that currently has our nation divided. It is appalling to me that Ilive in one of the most successful countries in the world, yet I’m constantly in fear of someoneharming me or my loved ones. I am not making a plea to the complete elimination of guns, but Iam urging American citizens to understand the anarchy that has unfolded within the last fewyears.

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