Guns are one of the most hotly debated topics of conversation after the horrific killing spree in Parkland, Florida. After writing about it, I received a lot of pro-gun replies on the article, highlighting various problems with the potential for gun reform.

Here's what people said, translated into an actual argument and then addressed. You're welcome.

1. "I had a long talk with my AR last nite , he promised not to shoot anyone and be home before dark. Dumbass leftists!!" — Mark S.

Translation: Guns cannot kill people on their own.

Apparently, to the complete shock of Republicans, nobody is actually proposing that guns just stand up and shoot people on their own. I'm glad that you took the time to have a conversation with your weapon and I'm glad that when you laid it on a table and asked it to kill someone, it didn't.

However, just as a gun can't work alone, neither can a mass murderer. If you put a Nikolas Cruz in that high school with no gun, he's just about as useless as the gun with a Nikolas Cruz. In order to commit this type of mass murder, you need a gun. So you're right, a gun cannot kill someone on its own (though accidental gun deaths are common) but someone like Nikolas Cruz can't kill someone without a gun.

2. "more cars kill people than guns. So, are we going to ban cars now? Are you going to stop driving your car or riding in one?" — Kira D.

Translation: Cars lead to more deaths in the U.S. than guns do.

First of all, this isn't entirely true. In 2015, a report showed that guns and automobiles were killing people at almost identical rates. But regardless, this weak point stands: If cars do as much damage as guns, why do we want to regulate gun usage but not car usage?

The answer is simple: We do. Driving a car requires a license in all states, being of a certain age, driving with an adult and passing a test. To drive trucks or operate more advanced machinery, further testing and licensure are involved. Regulations already exist. Beyond this, cars have more uses than just to killing: The killing is just an unfortunate side effect.

So, if we have all these regulations and there's still tons of automobile deaths, that proves that regulations don't work, right? Wrong. First, the automobile-related deaths would absolutely be higher without the regulations in place. Secondly, most people drive their cars every single day. If your gun is used for self-defense as many claim, it is probably not being used all the time. There are more opportunities for automobile-related deaths than gun related deaths.

3. "So using the reasoning that guns kill people then I can assume a fork and spoon made me fat and the pencil misspelled the words" — Bruce S.

Translation: You have to blame the person their actions, not the weapon.

Being fat and misspelling words isn't illegal, for starters. And you're right: Blaming the person with the weapon (or spoon) in their hand is part of it. That's why background checks, mental health tests, and other regulations must exist for the PERSON buying the gun.

Also, while this point isn't even worth debating, you don't need a spoon or fork to get fat. You can eat with your hands, use chopsticks, get a spork. That doesn't hold true with guns: If you want to murder 17 people quickly by yourself, you need a gun.

4. "The only thing that stops a bad guy with a gun is a good guy with a gun." — General argument

Translation: Law-abiding citizens with guns bring safety to our world.

Let's just say, um, not true. Feel free to read the stats if you want to, but let me just say, our "good guys" are not really doing much protecting.

5. "Why do ppl blame this crazy shit on the gun!!!!IT'S THE CRAZY ADS INDIVIDUAL!!!NEED TO STOP THE CRAZY!NOT THE GUN FOLKS!!!!" — Eric B.

Translation: Mental health is the problem, not the guns.

Ah, mental health. A phenomenon all over the world that apparently only presents itself in the form of mass shootings in the United States. Only 22% of mass shooters suffer from mental illness, yet we tend to immediately use mental health reform as a scapegoat for gun reform.

6. "Yes because criminals will all of a sudden stop breaking the law when there is gun control. They are criminals for a reason. They break the law. Thats what they do. They will still get guns even though its against the law." — Cassidy C.

Translation: Gun control won't work because criminals can still get guns on the black market.

Well, if guns are so easy and safe to grab illegally, then why don't the good guys just grab themselves one, too? Beyond this, many mass shooters get guns legally now, but the option to purchase illegally is still open. Why not at least close one avenue? Why not close off their opportunity to purchase guns legally and force them to go out of their way to get their weapon?

And realistically, doesn't this point argue against having any laws at all? Well, people will shoplift anyway, so let's not make it illegal. Murder will still happen, so why make a law? This is a ridiculous proposition: Laws are in place to make our society better, not perfect.

7. *Shares 2014 article about knife attack*

Translation: Knives and other weapons can be more lethal than a firearm.

Yes, a knife can kill someone, and yes a knife may, over time, kill more people than guns. However, if you want to kill a mass amount of people, by yourself, very quickly... You're not going to pull it off with a knife. Any arguments to the contrary of that statement will not be heard. The 33 people dead in China at the hands of a 5-person knife attack in 2014 does not really make any points about 17 people dead in the United States in a 1-person gun attack in 2018.

8. "Liberals are incredible idiots. Snoop Dog shoots the president in his music video, while Kathy Griffin holds Trumps severed head in a routine. All this live crap goes on along with Grand Theft Auto and other games that promote violence" — Dave F.

Translation: Violence is a result of growing up with violence in the media.

And maybe you're right. Maybe violent media and growing up with violent games is promoting violence and changing the brains of our youth. If you think that... Why would you want their hands on an AR-15 without proper regulations? If our media is getting more violent, and violent media leads to violent people, wouldn't you want it to be harder for them to get guns?

9. "All you people against guns the first thing you do if someone breaks into your home is call the cops cause you know they have guns" — Dean M.

Translation: There are times when firearms have purposes.

An excellent point if you think the argument is to take guns away from everyone, including law enforcement officials. Let me just say: I can call 911 and call the police if I'm in trouble and also believe that it should be more difficult for someone to get a military-grade weapon. The two are not mutually exclusive.